User:Automorphic/HandWaving

“ A few of the zeros are on the critical line; probably they all are. ”

~ Bernhard Riemann on his handwaving hypothesis

“ The terms get closer to 1/e, so obviously the series converges. ”

~ Joseph-Louis Lagrange engaged in hand-waving

The term handwaving is an informal term that describes either the debate technique of failing to rigorously address an argument in an attempt to bypass the argument altogether. It can be meant as an accusation or in a more positive light, depending on the context. It is also used in other situations, as for instance, "I hand-wave", meaning a claim of waving one's (or others') hands. In this sense, the waving has been achieved by hand manipulations.