The first step of an indirect proof is to assume the opposite, or negation, of the given statement.
Assume temporarily that it is not raining outside.
Practice makes perfect
The first step of an indirect proof is to assume the opposite, or negation, of the given statement. Let's think about the given statement.
It is raining outside.
To write a negation of the given statement, we need to consider how to say its opposite. Typically this can be done using the word not.
Negation: & It is not raining outside.
Since the first step is to temporarily assume the opposite, we should include this fact in our sentence.
First Step:
Assume temporarily that it is not raining outside.
