What is a Conjecture in Science?

What is a Conjecture in Science?

In science, a conjecture is an idea or proposition that suggests a potential explanation or pattern but hasn't been rigorously tested or proven. Unlike a hypothesis, which is developed to be experimentally tested, a conjecture is often more speculative, arising from observations or logical insights without direct experimental support.

Conjectures are commonly found in mathematics and theoretical sciences, where they propose ideas based on patterns or reasoning. They serve as starting points that may inspire further research or hypotheses to test. However, a conjecture remains a tentative idea until it is either proven true through a logical or mathematical proof or is supported by empirical evidence and testing.

For example, Goldbach's Conjecture in mathematics proposes that every even integer greater than 2 is the sum of two prime numbers. Despite extensive evidence supporting it for a vast range of numbers, it remains unproven and is thus still called a conjecture.

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