Chapter 10

Propositional Logic
A simple language useful for showing key ideas and definitions

Propositional logic
Conjunction
Negation

Disjunction
Conditional statements

Propositional logic
Sentences are combined by connectives:
&/ and Conjunction

not
or

Negation
Disjunction

if

Implication / conditional

Variables and examples of PL sentences

- Variables: Propositional symbols assigned to different parts of the argument. - Common variables: p, q, r, s

Example: P: It is hot. Q: It is humid. R: It is raining.

P&Q P & ~Q

It is hot and it is humid.

It is hot but its not humid.

QP
PvQ

If it is humid, then it is hot.

It is hot or it is humid.

(P& Q) R

If it is hot and humid, then it is raining.

CONJUNCTION (&/... and)

A statement can be regarded as true or false (truth values). A simple statement: a simple sentence regarded as true or false.
Ex: IU is a university.

A compound statement: two or more statements regarded as true or false.

Ex: Summer is hot and winter is cold.

CONJUNCTION Truth table

Summer is hot and winter is cold. p q p T T F F q T F T F p&q T F F F

* and can be replaced with but, yet, while, whereas, although, though, however

EXERCISE
Without knowing what they stand for, assume that: - p, q, r are true - w, x, y are false Determine whether each of the following is true or false.

1. 3. 5. 7. 9.

p x r x p

& & & & &

q y y w y

2. 4. 6. 8. 10.

p & r & y & q & r &

w q w r p

Conjunction and validity

Rule of validity: - In a valid argument, it is impossible for all the premises to be true and the conclusion false. - If any instance of all true premises is followed by a false conclusion - an F under the conclusion column - the argument is invalid.

p T T F F

q T F T F

p&q T F F F

CONJUNCTION Validity
The sky is blue. (p) The grass is green. (q) Therefore, the sky is blue and the grass is green.

p T T F F

q T F T F

p&q T F F F

CONJUNCTION Validity
The sky is blue. The grass is green. Therefore, the sky is blue and the grass is green.

p* T T F F
* The argument is valid.

q* T F T F

p&q C T F F F

10

CONJUNCTION Validity
The grass is green. Therefore, the grass is green and the sky is blue.

p* T T F F

q T F T F

p&q C T F F F

* The argument is invalid.

11

CONJUNCTION Validity
Tom is short and fat. Therefore, Tom is short.

pC T T F F

q T F T F

p&q* T F F F

12

CONJUNCTION Validity
Tom is short and fat. Therefore, Tom is short.

p T T F F

q T F T F

p&q* T F F F

pC T T F F

Lets repeat the p column in the right. * The argument is valid.

13

Exercise Testing validity

- p&q - . . .q

14

CONJUNCTION Testing validity

- p&q - . . .q

p T T F F

q T F T F

p&q* T F F F

qC T F T F

15

CONJUNCTION Testing validity

- p&q - . . .q

p T T F F * The argument is valid.

q T F T F

p&q* T F F F

qC T F T F

16

NEGATION
The use of not to deny a statement.
Ex:
Tina is tall. (p) Tina is not tall. ( p)

17

NEGATION
p q

p
F F T T

q
F T F T

T T F F

T F T F

18

NEGATION: Testing validity

Tina is not tall, but Sarah is tall. So, Tina is not tall. - p&q - . .. p p q

p F F T T

p&q F F T F
19

T T F F

T F T F

NEGATION: Testing validity

Tina is not tall, but Sarah is tall. So, Tina is not tall. - p&q
- . .. p

p F F T T

p&q* F F T F

p C F F T T
20

T T F F

T F T F

NEGATION: Testing validity

Tina is not tall, but Sarah is tall. So, Tina is not tall. - p&q - . .. p p q

p F F T T

p&q* F F T F

p C F F T T

T T F F

T F T F

The argument is valid.

21

NEGATION: Testing validity (2)

Frank does not drive a truck. So, Frank does not drive a truck, and Vinny does not drive a van. - p

- . . . p & q
p q

p F F T T

q F T F T

p& q F F F T

T T F F

T F T F

22

NEGATION: Testing validity (2)

Frank does not drive a truck. So, Frank does not drive a truck, and Vinny does not drive a van. - p - . . . p & q

p*
F F T T

q
F T F T

p& q C
F F F T
23

T T F F

T F T F

Invalid

DISJUNCTION
Two or more statements set apart, usually by the word or. Ex:
Frank is angry or Hank is tired. (p v q) For propositional logic, or has nonexclusive sense. This means the statement is true if either Frank is angry or Hank is tired.
p T T F F q T F T F pvq T T T F

24

DISJUNCTION truth table

Frank is angry or Hank is tired. So, Frank is angry.
Lets put our argument in symbolic form and set up the truth table:

25

DISJUNCTION and NEGATION truth table

Frank is not angry or Hank is tired.

26

DISJUNCTION and NEGATION truth table

Frank is not angry or Hank is not tired.

27

DISJUNCTION and NEGATION truth table

Its not the case that Frank is angry or Hank is tired.

28

CONJUNCTION, NEGATION & DISJUNCTION

Its not the case that Frank is angry or Hank is tired. So, Frank is not angry and Hank is not tired. Symbolic argument form: Lets set up the truth table:

29

CONJUNCTION, NEGATION & DISJUNCTION

Its not the case that Frank is angry or Hank is tired. So, Frank is not angry and Hank is not tired. Symbolic argument form:

30

CONJUNCTION, NEGATION & DISJUNCTION

Consider an argument with three variables that involves disjunction, negation, and conjunction: Frank is angry or Hank is tired. Its not the case that Hank is tired and Larry is lonely. So, Hank is tired. Symbolic argument form:

31

CONJUNCTION, NEGATION & DISJUNCTION

Consider an argument with three variables that involves disjunction, negation, and conjunction: Frank is angry or Hank is tired. Its not the case that Hank is tired and Larry is lonely. So, Hank is tired.

32

CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS If-then statements consisting of 2 parts antecedent and consequent.

Ex:
If it rained, then the ground is wet. (p q)
p T T F F q T F T F pq T F T T
33

CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS

If it rained, then the ground is wet. It rained. So, the ground is wet.
Symbolic argument form: Lets set up the truth table:

34

Summary of conjunction (p & q), negation (p&q), disjunction (p v q) and conditional statement (pq)

p
F F

q
F T

p&q

(p&q)
F T

pvq

pq

T T

T F

T F

T T

T F

F
F

T
F

T
T

F
T

F
F

T
T

T
F

T
T

35

PRACTICE

Convert each statement into symbolic form and generate its truth table.

36

1. The party was interesting but she didnt like it. p: the party was interesting q: She liked it.
Symbolic form: p&~q

~q

p&~q

T T

T F

F F

T F

37

1. The party was interesting but she didnt like it. p: the party was interesting q: She liked it.
Symbolic form: p&~q

~q

p&~q

T T

T F

F T

F T

F F

T F

F T

F F

38

2. If John doesn't pass then he will lose his scholarship and drop out of school.
p: John does pass q: John will lose his scholarship. r: John will drop out of school Symbolic form:
~

p
T T T T F F F F

q
T T F F T T F F

r
T F T F T F T F

~p

q&r

~pq&r

pq&r

39

2. If John doesn't pass then he will lose his scholarship and drop out of school.
p: John does pass q: John will lose his scholarship. r: John will drop out of school Symbolic form:
~

p
T T T T F F F F

q
T T F F T T F F

r
T F T F T F T F

~p
F F F F T T T T

q&r
T F F F T F F F

~pq&r
T T T T T F F F

pq&r

40

3. If it rains and you don't open your umbrella

then you will get wet.
a: It rains. b: You open your umbrella. c: You get wet. Symbolic form: a & ~b c
a
T T T T F F F F

b
T T F F T T F F

c
T F T F T F T F

~b

a & ~b

a & ~b c

41

3. If it rains and you don't open your umbrella

then you will get wet.
a: It rains. b: You open your umbrella. c: You get wet. Symbolic form: a & ~b c
a
T T T T F F F F

b
T T F F T T F F

c
T F T F T F T F

~b
F F T T F F T T

a & ~b
F F T T F F F F

a & ~b c
T T T F T T T T

42

Exercise 4: Test validity of the argument

If it does not rain and Dad comes home, then we will go out for a walk. Dad does not come home. So, we will not go out for a walk.

R: It rains. D: Dad comes home. W: Well go for a walk.

Symbolic argument form: R&DW D W

43

 If it does not rain and Dad comes home, then we will go out for a walk. Dad does not come home. So, we will not go out for a walk.

R: It rains. D: Dad comes home. W: Well go for a walk.

R D W R D W

Symbolic argument form: R&DW D W

R&D R & D W * D * W C

T T T

T T F

T F T

T
F F F F

F
T T F F

F
T F T F

44

 If it does not rain and Dad comes home, then we will go out for a walk. Dad does not come home. So, we will not go out for a walk.

R: It rains. D: Dad comes home. W: Well go for a walk.

R D W R D W

Symbolic argument form: R&DW D W

R&D R & D W * D * W C

T T T

T T F

T F T

F F F

F F T

F T F

F F F

T T T

F F T

F T F

T
F F F F

F
T T F F

F
T F T F

F
T T T T

T
F F T T

T
F T F T

F
T T F F

T
T F T T

T
F F T T

T
F T F T

Invalid

45

My wife's phone at work is busy. John's phone is also busy. If they are talking to each other, then both phones are busy. Therefore, my wife and John are talking to each other over the phone.

W = My wifes phone at work is busy J = Johns phone at work is busy T = My wife and John talk to each other

Symbolic argument form: W J TW&J

T
W* T T T T F F F F J* T T F F T T F F T T F T F T F T F W&J T T F F F F F F T W & J* T T F T F T F T
46

TC

My wife's phone at work is busy. John's phone is also busy. If they are talking to each other, then both phones are busy. Therefore, my wife and John are talking to each other over the phone.

(W = My wifes phone at work is busy; J = Johns phone at work is busy; T = My wife and John talk to each other.)

Symbolic argument form: W J TW&J

T
W* J* T W&J T W & J* TC

T T T T F F

T T F F T T

T F T F T F

T T F F F F

T T F T F T

T F T F T F

F
F

F
F

T
F

F
F

F
T

T
F
47

Invalid

If I don't qualify for the job, then you don't qualify. If both of us don't qualify, then Renee will get the job. So, if either of us does not qualify, Renee will get the job. I = I qualify Y = You qualify R = Renee will get the job
Symbolic argument form:

~I ~Y ~ I&~ YR ~Iv~YR
~Y ~I& ~Y ~I v ~Y ~I ~Y* ~ I & ~ Y R* ~ I v ~ Y RC

I T T T T F F F F

Y T T F F T T F F

R T F T F T F T F

~I

48

If I don't qualify for the job, then you don't qualify. If both of us don't qualify, then Renee will get the job. So, if either of us does not qualify, Renee will get the job. I = I qualify Y = You qualify R = Renee will get the job
Symbolic argument form:

~I ~Y ~ I&~ YR ~Iv~YR
~Y F F T T F F T T ~I& ~Y F F F F F F T T ~I v ~Y F F T T T T T T ~I ~Y* T T T T F F T T ~ I & ~ Y R* T T T T T T T F ~ I v ~ Y RC T T T F T F T F

I T T T T F F F F

Y T T F F T T F F

R T F T F T F T F

~I F F F F T T T T

Invalid

49

If our teacher checks attendance, frequently absent students will be on the list and they will be prohibited from the exam. Our teacher doesnt check attendance, so frequently absent students will still take the exam. T = teacher checks attendance A = absent students will be on the list P = absent students will be prohibited
Symbolic argument form:

TA&P ~T ~P
~PC F T F T F T F T A& P T F F F T F F F T A & P* T F F F T T T T

T T T T T F F F F

A T T F F T T F F

P T F T F T F T F

~T* F F F F T T T T

Invalid

50