  The quasilinear premise is a hypothesis for the modeling of plasma turbulence
in which the turbulent fluctuations are represented by a superposition of
randomly-phased linear wave modes, and energy is transferred among these wave
modes via nonlinear interactions. We define specifically what constitutes the
quasilinear premise, and present a range of theoretical arguments in support of
the relevance of linear wave properties even in a strongly turbulent plasma. We
review evidence both in support of and in conflict with the quasilinear premise
from numerical simulations and measurements of plasma turbulence in the solar
wind. Although the question of the validity of the quasilinear premise remains
to be settled, we suggest that the evidence largely supports the value of the
quasilinear premise in modeling plasma turbulence and that its usefulness may
also be judged by the insights gained from such an approach, with the ultimate
goal to develop the capability to predict the evolution of any turbulent plasma
system, including the spectrum of turbulent fluctuations, their dissipation,
and the resulting plasma heating.
