Truth Tables,

Equivalent
Statements and
Tautologies
GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World
Outline
i. Truth Tables
ii. Equivalent Statements
iii. Tautologies and Self-contradiction
I. Truth Tables
 
A truth table is a table that shows the truth value of a compound statement for all possible truth value
of its simple statements.

If the given statement involves only two simple statements, then start with a table with four rows. For
illustration, let us construct the truth table of the statement .

Cases
T T Both statements are True
T F is True, is False
F
F T
T is False, is True
F
F F
F Both
Both statements
statements are
are False
False

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

Here are the truth table of conjunction, disjunction and negation.

Conjunction Disjunction Negation

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

For a more detailed explanation on how to construct a truth table, please watch the video included in the module.
✘ 
Video title: Math - How To Construct a Truth Table from Compound Statements

Example: Construct a truth table for .

 
SOLUTION: Column 1 Column 2

Step 1: Start with the standard truth table

form and then include a column (column 2).
The is from negating all the truth values of
column .

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

✘ 
SOLUTION:

Step 2: Now use the truth values from the column (column 2) and column to produce the
truth values for the , as shown in the rightmost column of the following table.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

✘ 
SOLUTION:

Step 3: Negate the truth values in the column (column 3) to produce the following.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

✘ 
SOLUTION:

Step 4: As our last step, we form the disjunction of with and place the results in the rightmost
column on the table.

 This is the truth table for .

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

 II. Equivalent
Statements

✘   statements are equivalent if they both have the same truth value for all
Two
possible truth values of their simple statements. Equivalent statements have
identical truth values in the final columns of their truth tables. The notation is
used to indicate that the statements and are equivalent.

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

 II. Equivalent
Statements
✘ Morgan’s Laws of Statements
De
 
For any statements and ,

 Thistruth tables who that and are equivalent  This truth tables who that and are
statements. equivalent statements.

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

 III. Tautologies and Self-
Contradictions
✘tautology
A
  is a statement that is always true. The final column of the truth table of a tautology only
consists of TRUE truth value.

Example: Show that is a tautology.

T T F T T
T
T F
F F
F F
F T
T
F
F T
T T
T T
T T
T
F
F F
F T
T T
T T
T

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

✘self-contradiction
A
  is a statement that is always false. The final column of the truth table of a
tautology only consists of FALSE truth value.

Example: Show that is a self-contradiction.

T T F F F
T
T F
F F
F F
F F
F
F
F T
T T
T T
T F
F
F
F F
F T
T F
F F
F

N. Blas GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World Module 2: Logic

 Any questions?
If you have question about our discussion today, you can message
me here in Canvas or send me an email at aadvincula@feu.edu.ph

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