MATH120

Discrete Mathematics

Assignment 1 Due 5pm on Friday 29 July 2022

1. Let p, q, r denote the following statements:

p : I like ice cream more than maths.

q : Maths is fun.
r : I need to practice maths problems.

(a) What is ¬p in English?

(b) Rewrite the statement If maths is not fun but I need to practice maths
problems, then I like ice cream more than maths in terms of p, q, r and
logical connectives.

(c) Use De Morgan’s Law to find the negation of the statement I need to practice
maths problems but I like ice cream no more than maths. Write your answer
in (grammatically correct) English.

2. Use truth tables to show that

(a) (¬p ∨ q) ∨ (p ∧ ¬q) is a tautology, and

(b) ¬(¬p ∧ q) is logically equivalent to p ∨ ¬q.

3. Give the reasons at each step in the following simplification of the compound
statement.

¬p ∧ (q → p) ⇔ ¬p ∧ (¬q ∨ p)
⇔ (¬p ∧ ¬q) ∨ (¬p ∧ p)
⇔ (¬p ∧ ¬q) ∨ F
⇔ (¬p ∧ ¬q)
⇔ ¬(p ∨ q)