COT31 00: Propositional Equivalences

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Logic and Proofs

COT31 00: Applications of Discrete Structures

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1 - Translating from Natural Languages

EXAMPLE. Translate the following sentence into a logical expression:

"I met my ex-girlfriend today and either she grew taller or I got shorter." p = "I met my ex-girlfriend today."

q = "She grew tailer."

r = "I got shorter."

p/\(qVr)

P /\ q V r would mean something else:

"I got shorter or I met my ex-girlfriend today and she grew taller"

p /\ (q EB r) would also mean something else ...

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EXAMPLE. Translate the following sentence into a logical expression:

"You get an A only if you score at least 50% on the midterm or you submit a

HW."

p = "You get an A."

q = "You score at least 50% on the midterm." r = "You submit a HW."

p-+(qVr)

(q V r) -+ p would mean something else:

"You get an A if you score at least 50% on the midterm or you submit a HW."

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2 - Solving Puzzles using Propositional Logic

EXAMPLE. An island has two types of inhabitants: knights, who always tell the truth, and knaves, who always lie. You meet two people from this island: Alice and Bob. Alice says "Bob is a knight" and Bob says "The two of us are opposite types."

Let p= "Alice is a knight." Let q= "Bob is a knight."

Alice said q and Bob said p EB q.

Island Rule: Alice is a knight iff what she said is true and Bob is a knight iff what he said

is true. (p ~ q) /\ (q ~ (p EB q))

'p= "Alice is a knave."

=o- "Bob is a knave."

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Let p= "Alice is a knight." Let u= "Bob is a knight." Alice said q and Bob said p EB q.

Island Rule: Alice is a knight iff what she said is true and Bob is a knight iff what he said

is true. (p +--+ q) 1\ (q +--+ (p EB q))

,p= "Alice is a knave." ,q= "Bob is a knave."

Alice said Bob said Island rule
p q ,p ,q pEBq (p +--+ q) 1\ (q +--+ (p EB q) )
T T F F F F
T F F T T F
F T T F T F
F F T T F T Hence, Both Alice and Bob are knaves.

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3 - Tautology and Contradiction

A compound statetement that is always true is called a tautology.

A compound statetement that is always false is called a contradiction.

A compound proposition that is neither a tautology nor a contradiction is called a contingency

TABLE 1 Examples of a Tautology and a
Contradiction.
p 'P' P V·.· P A ,p
.p
T F T F
F T T F COT31 00: Applications of Discrete Structures

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4 - Equivalence

The compound propositions p and q are called logically equivalent, denoted by p q, if

P +---+ q is a tautology.

Remark: The symbol is not a logical connective and p q is not a compound

proposition but rather is the statement that p +---+ q is a tautology.

Use truth tables to determine logical equivalences. Two compound propositions are equivalent if their columns in the truth table are the same.

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5 - Proving De Morgan Laws

TABLE 31 'fiutlit Tables for 9{P Vq) aud """'p /\9q.
P q P Vq ~(p V q) "9p 9q ~pl\9q
T T T f F f F
T F T r F T F
F T T f T F F
F F f T T T T EXAMPLE. State the negation of "I am a doctor or a lawyer."

"I am not a doctor and I am not a lawyer."

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TABLE 2 De Morgan's Laws.

!(p 1\ q) ! P VI q !(p V q) ! P 1\-, q

EXAMPLE. State the negation of "She is rich and beautiful."

"She is either not rich or not beautiful."

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6 - Equivalence Example

p q -,p =rv « p----+q
T T F T T
T F F F f
F T T T T
F F T T T EXAMPLE. "If you are a freshman you can get a free ticket"

"Either you are not a freshman or you can get a free ticket."

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7 - Distributive Law

p V (q /\ r) (p V q) /\ (p V r)

p /\ (q V r) (p /\ q) V (p /\ r)

TABLE·:5 A D~mons,mra.ti.ou That Jl V ~q 1\ f) lind (1' V q) .1\ (p V 1') Are Lo,gicaUy Equivalent.

p 1I r' qlv p V (q 1\ r) P V li p V II (pVq)!\(pYr)
T T T "I T T T T
T T F F T T T T
r F T F T T I' T
T F f .F T T r T
r T T T T T l' T
f' T F F F T F F
r F T 'F F F T F
f F f F F F F F COT31 00: Applications of Discrete Structures

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Equivalence Name

p/\ T p Identity Laws
pV F P
pVT T Domination Laws
p/\F F
pVp P Idempotent Laws
p /\p P
-{--,p) P Double Negation Law
pVq qVp Commutative Laws
p/\q q/\p COT31 00: Applications of Discrete Structures

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I Equivalence

Name

pV(qVr) (pVq)Vr Associative Laws
p/\(q/\r) (p/\q)/\r
p V (q /\ r) (p V q) /\ (p V r) Distributive Laws
p /\ (q V r) (p /\ q) V (p /\ r)
-, (p V q) -'p /\ -, q De Morgan Laws
-, (p /\ q) =» V -, q
p V (p /\ q) P Absorption Laws
p/\(pVq) p
pV-,p T Negation Laws
p /\ -'p F COT31 00: Applications of Discrete Structures

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TABLE 7 Logical Equivalences Involving Conditional Statements.

p----4q_----.pVq

pVq ,p-+q

P A q -, (p -+, q) -{p -~ q) _ pAc-; q

(p~ q) 1\ (p ~ r) - p .~ (q ;\ r) (p -+ r) A (q ---* r). (p V q) ---* r (p -+ q) V (p -+ r) p ---* (q V r) (p -+ r) V (q -+ r) - (p A q) -+ r

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p+:« (p--+q)l\(q--+p)

TABLE 8 Logical

Eq uivalences Involving Biconditionals.

p ~ q ---, p ~---, q

p ~ q (p 1\ q) V (---, P 1\ ---, q)

---'(p +--+ q) P ~---, q

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8 - Constructing new equivalences

EXAMPLE. Show that ---, (p ----+ q) and p 1\ ---'q are logically equivalent.

---,(---,p V q) (See page 10 of these slides)

---, ( ---,p) 1\ ---'q (De Morgan's Law)

(Double negation)

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9 - Proving a Tautology

EXAMPLE. Show that (p /\ q) -----+ (p V q) is a tautology.

(p /\ q) -----+ (p V q)

,(p /\ q) V (p V q)

(See page 10 of these slides)

(,p V ,q) V (p V q) (De Morgan's Law)

( 'p V 'q V p) V q (Associative Law)

(,p V p V ,q) V q (Commutative Law)

( 'p V p) V (,q V q) (Associative Law)

T V T (Negation Law)

T

COT31 00: Applications of Discrete Structures