Symbolic

Arguments
MS. MARIE SHANNE F. MARIANO, LPT.
Definition. An argument consists of a set of statements
called premises and another statement called the
conclusion.
Example
The set of statements below is an example of an
argument.
If I am going to join the basketball try-out, then I will buy a
new pair of shoes. I will join the try-out. Therefore, I will buy
a new pair shoes.
The above argument consists of two premises and a
conclusion. Usually, the premises and conclusion are
written in the following manner.
First Premise: If I am going to join the basketball try-
out, then I will buy a new pair of shoes.
Second Premise: I will join the try-out.
Conclusion: Therefore, I will buy a new pair shoes.
 In writing an argument in symbolic form, each simple
statement in the argument must be represented by a variable,
usually by lower case letters in the English alphabet. For
instance, consider the argument “If I am going to join the
basketball try-out, then I will buy a new pair of shoes. I will join
the try-out. Therefore, I will buy a new pair shoes.” Let the
following notations corresponds to each simple statement of the
above argument.
𝑥: I am going to join the basketball try-out
𝑦: I will buy a new pair of shoes.
Then the argument can be written in the following form:
𝑥→𝑦
𝑥
∴ 𝑦
Definition. An argument is valid if the conclusion is true
whenever all the premises are assumed to be true. An
argument is invalid if it is not a valid argument.
Example
Determine whether the given argument is valid or invalid.
If Rea does not have a quarantine pass, she will stay at home.
She did not stay at home. Therefore, she has a quarantine pass.
Solution. First, write the argument in symbolic form. If 𝑥 and 𝑦
denotes the following simple statements.
𝑥: Rea has a quarantine pass.
𝑦: Rea will stay at home
Then the symbolic form of the argument can be written as:
∼𝑥→𝑦
∼𝑦
∴𝑥
 Next, we construct the truth table showing the truth value of each
premise and the truth value of the conclusion for all truth values of the
simple statements, as follows:

It can be observed from the truth table that that there is only one
row that all the premises are true, that is the second row (red). The
conclusion in this row is also true. Hence, the argument is valid. The
following remark is useful in determining the invalid argument.
Remark 10. If the conclusion is false in any row in which all of the
premises are true, the argument is invalid.
The following are standard form of valid arguments:
Use a truth table to determine whether the argument is valid or invalid.
1. 𝑟∨𝑠
𝑠
∴𝑟
2. 𝑦→𝑧
𝑦
∴𝑧
3. 𝑠 ∨ ~𝑡
𝑡
∴𝑠
4. 𝑝→𝑞
𝑞→𝑟
𝑟→𝑠
∴ 𝑝→𝑠