deductive tableau

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

deductive tableau

   <tool> A theorem proof system consisting of a table whose rows
   contain assertions or goals.  Variables in assertions are
   implicitly universally quantified and variables in goals are
   implicitly existentially quantified.  The declarative meaning
   of a tableau is that if every instance of every assertion is
   true then some instance of at least one of the goals is true.

   (1994-12-07)