Direct proof
The simplest form of proof there is.

In broad terms, a direct proof provides a straightforward way of reaching a conclusion by considering only what can be deducted from the assumption that the hypotheses are true. Known theorems, axioms, and lemmas may be employed to support the proof. Direct proofs often start with existential instantiation. The bulk of a direct proof tends to be a series of algebraic steps. Examples of direct proofs include proofs by exhaustion and proofs by induction.

Every proof is an argument, and every argument can be written as a conditional statement: \((h_1 \land ... \land h_n) \rightarrow c\), where \(h_1 ... h_n\) are the hypotheses and \(c\) is the conclusion. The path that a direct proof takes is strictly from hypotheses to conclusion. This differs from indirect proofs such as proofs by contrapositive and proofs by contradiction, which rely on a strategic rewriting of the argument.

Logic & Proofs
Integer • Rational number • Inequality • Real number • Theorem • Proof • Statement • Proof by exhaustion • Universal generalization • Counterexample • Existence proof • Existential instantiation • Axiom • Logic • Truth • Proposition • Compound proposition • Logical operation • Logical equivalence • Tautology • Contradiction • Logic law • Predicate • Domain • Quantifier • Argument • Rule of inference • Logical proof • Direct proof • Proof by contrapositive • Irrational number • Proof by contradiction • Proof by cases • Summation • Disjunctive normal form
Set Theory
Set • Element • Empty set • Universal set • Subset • Power set • Cartesian product • String • Binary string • Empty string • Set operation • Set identity • Set proof
Functions
Function • Floor function • Ceiling function • Inverse function
Algorithms
Algorithm • Pseudocode • Command • Asymptotic notation • Time complexity • Atomic operation • Brute-force algorithm
Relations
Relation • Reflexive relation • Symmetric relation • Transitive relation • Relation composition • Equivalence relation • Equivalence class
Number Theory
Integer division • Linear combination • Division algorithm • Modular arithmetic • Prime factorization • Greatest common divisor • Least common multiple • Primality test • Factoring algorithm • Euclid's theorem • Prime number theorem • Euclidean algorithm
Induction
Proof by induction • Fibonacci sequence • Proof by strong induction • Well-ordering principle • Sequence • Factorial • Recursive definition
Combinatorics
Rule of product • Rule of sum • Bijection rule • Permutation • Combination • Complement rule • Experiment • Outcome • Sample space • Event • Probability • Probability distribution • Uniform distribution • Multiset • Sixfold way • Inclusion-exclusion principle • Pigeonhole principle
Graph Theory
Graph • Walk • Subgraph • Regular graph • Complete graph • Empty graph • Cycle graph • Hypercube graph • Bipartite graph • Component • Eulerian circuit • Eulerian trail • Hamiltonian cycle • Hamiltonian path • Tree • Huffman tree • Substring • Forest • Path graph • Star • Spanning tree • Weighted graph • Minimum spanning tree • Greedy algorithm • Prim's algorithm
Recursion
Recursion • Recursive algorithm • Correctness proof • Divide-and-conquer algorithm • Sorting algorithm • Merge sort