Difference Between Axioms and Postulates

Axioms vs Postulates

Based on logic, an axiom or postulate is a statement that is considered to be self-evident. Both axioms and postulates are assumed to be true without any proof or demonstration. Basically, something that is obvious or declared to be true and accepted but have no proof for that, is called an axiom or a postulate. Axioms and postulate serve as a basis for deducing other truths.

The ancient Greeks recognized the difference between these two concepts. Axioms are self-evident assumptions, which are common to all branches of science, while postulates are related to the particular science.

Axioms

Aristotle by himself used the term “axiom”, which comes from the Greek “axioma”, which means “to deem worth”, but also “to require”. Aristotle had some other names for axioms. He used to call them as “the common things” or “common opinions”. In Mathematics, Axioms can be categorized as “Logical axioms” and “Non-logical axioms”. Logical axioms are propositions or statements, which are considered as universally true. Non-logical axioms sometimes called postulates, define properties for the domain of specific mathematical theory, or logical statements, which are used in deduction to build mathematical theories. “Things which are equal to the same thing, are equal to one another” is an example for a well-known axiom laid down by Euclid.

Postulates

The term “postulate” is from the Latin “postular”, a verb which means “to demand”. The master demanded his pupils that they argue to certain statements upon which he could build. Unlike axioms, postulates aim to capture what is special about a particular structure. “It is possible to draw a straight line from any point to any other point”, “It is possible to produce a finite straight continuously in a straight line”, and “It is possible to describe a circle with any center and any radius” are few examples for postulates illustrated by Euclid.