. In a strict sense, reasoning to a generalization on the basis of particular instances of that generalization. An example would be the following: “This swan is white; the next swan is white; and so is the next one. Therefore swans are white.” With the exception of mathematical induction, where the premises of the argument do necessarily imply their conclusion, inductive arguments do not lead to certainty. In a broader sense, inductive reasoning is any form of reasoning in which