In mathematics and other fields,[a] a lemma (pl.: lemmas or lemmata) is a generally minor, proven proposition which is used to prove a larger statement. For that reason, it is also known as a "helping theorem" or an "auxiliary theorem".[3][4] In many cases, a lemma derives its importance from the theorem it aims to prove; however, a lemma can also turn out to be more important than originally thought.[5]
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