What is the outcome if the conditions in a fault tree are not met?

When the conditions in a fault tree analysis are not met, it indicates that the contributing factors or events that could lead to the top event (or failure) have not occurred. In this context, the failure of the conditions to manifest effectively means that the hypothesis regarding the likelihood or mechanism of the failure is unsupported. Therefore, the hypothesis is considered disproved, as it relies on the occurrence of specific conditions that, if absent, cannot validate the claim being investigated.

This outcome demonstrates a fundamental principle in hypothesis testing: if the necessary conditions for a hypothesis are found to be untrue, the hypothesis itself cannot be upheld. It reflects the logical process of examining causal relationships and determining whether the proposed scenario can be the basis for understanding a failure or incident. In practical terms, this drives the investigation towards reassessing other possible causes that could explain the event being studied.