Math 144 Preview Activities 3.

3
Raymond Juan Sanchez
April 13, 2015
T.A: Kaylee Hamann
Section 3.3 Preview Activity 1:
1. Use truth tables to explain why P P is a tautology and P P is a contradiction.
P P P P P
T
T
F
F
T
F
By definition, we can see that the first statement is a tautology and the other statement is a contradiction.
2. Use a truth table to show that (P Q) is a logically equivalent to P Q.
P Q (P Q) P Q
T T
F
F
T F
T
T
F T
F
F
F F
F
F
From the truth table we can deduce that the two statements are logically equivalent.
3. Give a counterexample to show that the following statement is false
For each real number x

1
4
x(1 x)

A counterexample is to let x = 2 then we get

1
1
=
<4
2(1 2)
2

4. Given the new statement: For each real number x, if 0 < x < 1, then
1
4
x(1 x)
Carefully write down all assumptions made at the beginning of a proof by contradiction for this statement.
Let P: 0 < x < 1 and let Q:

1
x(1x)

4. To begin a proof by contradiction then we need to assume:

1. (( x R)(P Q)) ( x R)(P Q) is a true statement.

2. P is true and Q is false
3.

1
x(1x)

< 4 and 0 < x < 1

From here would proceed with P being true and Q being false and attempt to arrive at a contradiction.
3.3 Preview Activity 2:
Given the Proposition: For all real numbers x and y, if x 6= y, x > 0, and y > 0, then
x y
+ >2
y x
A proof by contradiction gives rise to the assumed true statement: There exists real numbers x and y such
that x 6= y, x > 0, y > 0, and
x y
+ 2
y x
1. Algebraically manipulate this inequality
x y
+
y x
x2 + y 2
xy
2
x + y2
x2 + y 2 2xy
(x y)2

2
2
2xy
0
0

3. Explain why the last inequality from part (2) leads to a contradiction.
It leads to a contradiction because the quantity (x y)2 is always positive. This inequality would hold
for x and y if x = y, then (x y)2 = 0, but weve assumed that x 6= y, hence the last inequality is always
false given that weve assumed x 6= y.