Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

deductive tableau
     
         A theorem proof system consisting of a table whose rows
        contain assertions or goals.  Variables in assertions are
        implicitly universally quantified and variables in goals are
        implicitly existentially quantified.  The declarative meaning
        of a tableau is that if every instance of every assertion is
        true then some instance of at least one of the goals is true.
     
        (1994-12-07)