A word for an informed guess in mathematics, proved later to be the correct guess

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3















I am looking for a single word, used in mathematics (but not exclusively), meaning to take a guess which will later be proved to be correct.



I believe it starts with an 'a', and I seem to remember it being something similar to alcantz, alcats, ancaltz, first hearing it used by a professor in a lecture.



Edit (to add an example sentence): An example sentence: "I solved the problem through the use of an (insert word)."










share|improve this question



















  • 1





    Hi packetpacket, welcome to EL&U. You might not be aware that there are strict rules for single-word-requests: "To ensure your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. You must include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used." You can add this using the edit link. For further guidance, see How to Ask, and make sure you also take the EL&U Tour :-)

    – Chappo
    Feb 24 at 22:37






  • 1





    I believe you're describing a hypothesis. Or a conjecture. Or a theorem.

    – michael.hor257k
    Feb 24 at 22:54















3















I am looking for a single word, used in mathematics (but not exclusively), meaning to take a guess which will later be proved to be correct.



I believe it starts with an 'a', and I seem to remember it being something similar to alcantz, alcats, ancaltz, first hearing it used by a professor in a lecture.



Edit (to add an example sentence): An example sentence: "I solved the problem through the use of an (insert word)."










share|improve this question



















  • 1





    Hi packetpacket, welcome to EL&U. You might not be aware that there are strict rules for single-word-requests: "To ensure your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. You must include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used." You can add this using the edit link. For further guidance, see How to Ask, and make sure you also take the EL&U Tour :-)

    – Chappo
    Feb 24 at 22:37






  • 1





    I believe you're describing a hypothesis. Or a conjecture. Or a theorem.

    – michael.hor257k
    Feb 24 at 22:54













3












3








3








I am looking for a single word, used in mathematics (but not exclusively), meaning to take a guess which will later be proved to be correct.



I believe it starts with an 'a', and I seem to remember it being something similar to alcantz, alcats, ancaltz, first hearing it used by a professor in a lecture.



Edit (to add an example sentence): An example sentence: "I solved the problem through the use of an (insert word)."










share|improve this question
















I am looking for a single word, used in mathematics (but not exclusively), meaning to take a guess which will later be proved to be correct.



I believe it starts with an 'a', and I seem to remember it being something similar to alcantz, alcats, ancaltz, first hearing it used by a professor in a lecture.



Edit (to add an example sentence): An example sentence: "I solved the problem through the use of an (insert word)."







single-word-requests mathematics






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Feb 24 at 23:51







packetpacket

















asked Feb 24 at 22:23









packetpacketpacketpacket

1184




1184







  • 1





    Hi packetpacket, welcome to EL&U. You might not be aware that there are strict rules for single-word-requests: "To ensure your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. You must include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used." You can add this using the edit link. For further guidance, see How to Ask, and make sure you also take the EL&U Tour :-)

    – Chappo
    Feb 24 at 22:37






  • 1





    I believe you're describing a hypothesis. Or a conjecture. Or a theorem.

    – michael.hor257k
    Feb 24 at 22:54












  • 1





    Hi packetpacket, welcome to EL&U. You might not be aware that there are strict rules for single-word-requests: "To ensure your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. You must include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used." You can add this using the edit link. For further guidance, see How to Ask, and make sure you also take the EL&U Tour :-)

    – Chappo
    Feb 24 at 22:37






  • 1





    I believe you're describing a hypothesis. Or a conjecture. Or a theorem.

    – michael.hor257k
    Feb 24 at 22:54







1




1





Hi packetpacket, welcome to EL&U. You might not be aware that there are strict rules for single-word-requests: "To ensure your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. You must include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used." You can add this using the edit link. For further guidance, see How to Ask, and make sure you also take the EL&U Tour :-)

– Chappo
Feb 24 at 22:37





Hi packetpacket, welcome to EL&U. You might not be aware that there are strict rules for single-word-requests: "To ensure your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. You must include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used." You can add this using the edit link. For further guidance, see How to Ask, and make sure you also take the EL&U Tour :-)

– Chappo
Feb 24 at 22:37




1




1





I believe you're describing a hypothesis. Or a conjecture. Or a theorem.

– michael.hor257k
Feb 24 at 22:54





I believe you're describing a hypothesis. Or a conjecture. Or a theorem.

– michael.hor257k
Feb 24 at 22:54










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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6














The word you are looking for is ansatz, which is German (although used by English-speaking physicists and mathematicians).



Wikipedia: In physics and mathematics, an ansatz is an educated guess that is verified later by its results.)






share|improve this answer























  • Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:45











  • I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:46










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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









6














The word you are looking for is ansatz, which is German (although used by English-speaking physicists and mathematicians).



Wikipedia: In physics and mathematics, an ansatz is an educated guess that is verified later by its results.)






share|improve this answer























  • Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:45











  • I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:46















6














The word you are looking for is ansatz, which is German (although used by English-speaking physicists and mathematicians).



Wikipedia: In physics and mathematics, an ansatz is an educated guess that is verified later by its results.)






share|improve this answer























  • Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:45











  • I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:46













6












6








6







The word you are looking for is ansatz, which is German (although used by English-speaking physicists and mathematicians).



Wikipedia: In physics and mathematics, an ansatz is an educated guess that is verified later by its results.)






share|improve this answer













The word you are looking for is ansatz, which is German (although used by English-speaking physicists and mathematicians).



Wikipedia: In physics and mathematics, an ansatz is an educated guess that is verified later by its results.)







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Feb 24 at 23:16









Peter Shor Peter Shor

62.9k5122228




62.9k5122228












  • Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:45











  • I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:46

















  • Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:45











  • I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

    – innisfree
    Feb 25 at 3:46
















Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

– innisfree
Feb 25 at 3:45





Can we still use ansatz before we've verified it or if it turns out to be incorrect? e.g., I tried the anstatz $y=x^2$ but it did not work, or we are trying the ansatz $t=cos u$ but we haven't verified it yet.

– innisfree
Feb 25 at 3:45













I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

– innisfree
Feb 25 at 3:46





I would say that we could, and MathWorld appears to support that usage, mathworld.wolfram.com/Ansatz.html

– innisfree
Feb 25 at 3:46

















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