postulated

Postulated is the past participle of postulate. As a verb, to postulate means to assume or propose as a basis for argument, investigation, or explanation, often without immediate proof. As an adjective, postulated describes something that is assumed or hypothesized for the sake of argument or model construction.

In mathematics and logic, a postulate is a basic assumption accepted without proof from which other statements follow. In geometry, postulates (often called axioms) provide the foundational rules about points, lines, and planes. The term is sometimes used to distinguish the starting assumptions of a theory from theorems that are proven from them; in many contexts, axioms and postulates are used interchangeably, while some writers reserve postulate for theory-specific assumptions.

In science, postulates are the core assumptions of a theory or model. They are not derived from experiment within that framework, but are chosen to yield a coherent set of predictions. Theories may rest on several postulates, and their validity is assessed by whether the resulting conclusions match observations and experiments. Historical examples include Euclid’s geometric postulates and the Planck postulate relating energy to frequency in quantum theory.

Usage and nuance: To postulate that something is the case implies it is a starting point rather than an established fact. If evidence accumulates against a postulate, it may be revised or discarded. In philosophy and related fields, postulation can refer to assumptions underlying theories or analyses.

Etymology: from Latin postulare, to place before, to demand.