What is a key characteristic of deductive reasoning?

Deductive reasoning is characterized by its reliance on established premises to draw conclusions. Essentially, it starts with general statements or hypotheses and then applies them to specific cases to reach a logical conclusion. This process ensures that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true, which establishes a solid foundation for logical reasoning.

For example, if we have the premises "All humans are mortal" and "Socrates is a human," we can deduce that "Socrates is mortal." This direct relationship between the premises and the conclusion is fundamental to deductive reasoning, making it a powerful tool in mathematics and logic.

The other methods mentioned are not indicative of deductive reasoning. Using specific examples to form general conclusions pertains more to inductive reasoning, while making assumptions without evidence and finding patterns in observations relate to informal reasoning or hypothesizing. In contrast, deductive reasoning emphasizes the necessity of established facts to derive conclusions rigorously.