exercise, left as an
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)