Used to complete a proof in technical books when one doesn't
mind a handwave, or to avoid one entirely. The complete
phrase is: "The proof [or "the rest"] is left as an exercise
for the reader." This comment *has* occasionally been
attached to unsolved research problems by authors possessed of
either an evil sense of humour or a vast faith in the
capabilities of their audiences.
[Jargon File]
(1995-02-20)
Nearby terms:
execution « executive « Executive Systems Programming Oriented Language « exercise, left as an » exhaustive testing » existential quantifier » EXODUS
