proof by infinite descent

/P R UW1 F B AY0 IH0 N F AH0 N AH0 T D IH0 S EH0 N T/
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    In mathematics, a proof by infinite descent, also known as Fermat's method of descent, is a particular kind of proof by contradiction used to show that a statement cannot possibly hold for any number, by showing that if the statement were to hold for a number, then the same would be true for a smaller number, leading to an infinite descent and ultimately a contradiction.

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