Lesson 2-1

Conditional
Statements
 Conditional Statement

Defn. A conditional statement is a

statement that can be written as an if-
then statement. That is, as
“If _____________, then ______________.”
 Example:

If your feet smell

and your nose runs,
then you're built upside down.
Conditional Statements have two parts:

The hypothesis is the part of a conditional

statement that follows “if” (when written in if-
then form.)
It is the given information, or the condition.

If a number is prime, then a number has

exactly two divisors.

Leave off “if” and

Hypothesis: a number is prime
comma.
Conditional Statements have two parts:

The conclusion is the part of a conditional statement

that follows “then” (when written in if-then form.)
It is the result of the given information.

If a number is prime, then a number has

exactly two divisors.

Leave off “then”

Conclusion: a number has exactly two divisors
and period
Rewriting Conditional Statements

Conditional statements can be put into an

“if-then” form to clarify which part is the
hypothesis and which is the conclusion.

Method: Turn the subject into a hypothesis.

 Example 1:

Vertical angles are congruent.

can be written as...

If two angles are vertical,

then they are congruent.
 Example 2:

Seals swim.

can be written as...

If an animal is a seal, then it swims.
 Example 3:

Babies are illogical.

can be written as...

If a person is a baby, then the person is
illogical.
 IF …THEN vs. IMPLIES
Another way of writing an if-then
statement is using the word implies.

Two angles are vertical

implies they are congruent.

 Conditional Statements
can be true or false:
• A conditional statement is false
only when the hypothesis is true,
but the conclusion is false.
• A counterexample is an example
used to show that a statement is not
always true and therefore false.
 Counterexample
Statement: If you live in Virginia, then
you live in Richmond, VA.

Is there a counterexample?

YES... Anyone who lives in Virginia, but

not Richmond, VA.
Therefore () the statement is false.
Symbolic Logic
Symbols can be
used to modify or
connect statements.
 Symbols for
Hypothesis and Conclusion

Lower case letters, such as p and q, are

frequently used to represent the hypothesis
and conclusion.
if p, then q
or

p implies q
 Symbols for
Hypothesis and Conclusion

Example
p: a number is prime

q: a number has exactly two divisors

if p, then q or p implies q
If a number is prime, then it
has exactly two divisors.


is used to represent the words

“if … then”
or
“implies”
 pq
means

if p, then q
or

p implies q
 Example

p: a number is prime
q: a number has exactly two
divisors
pq:
If a number is prime, then it
has exactly two divisors.
 ~
is used to represent the word

“not”
•~ p is the negation of p.
•The negation of a statement is the
denial of the statement. Add or
remove the word “not.”
•To negate, write ~ p.
 Example

p: the angle is obtuse

~p: the angle is not obtuse
Be careful because ~p means that the
angle could be acute, right, or
straight.
 Example

p: James doesn’t like fish.

~p: James likes fish.

Notice: ~p took the “not” out… it

would have been a double negative
(not not)

is used to represent the word

“and”
 Example

p: a number is even
q: a number is divisible by 3
pq: A number is even and it is
divisible by 3.
6,12,18,24,30,36,42...

is used to represent the
word

“or”
 Example

p: a number is even
q: a number is divisible by 3
pq: A number is even or it is
divisible by 3.
2,3,4,6,8,9,10,12,14,15,...

is used to represent the
word

“therefore”
 Example

Therefore, the statement is

false.

 the statement is false

 Different Forms of
Conditional Statements
 Forms of Conditional Statements

Converse: Statement formed from a conditional statement

by switching the hypothesis and conclusion (q  p)

pq If two angles are vertical, then they are congruent.

qp If two angles are congruent, then they are vertical.

Are these statements true or false?
Continued…..
 Forms of Conditional Statements

Inverse: Statement formed from a conditional statement by

negating both the hypothesis and conclusion.
(~p~q)

pq : If two angles are vertical, then they are congruent.

~p~q: If two angles are not vertical, then they are not
congruent.

Are these statements true or false?

 Forms of Conditional Statements

Contrapositive: Statement formed from a conditional statement

by switching and negating both the hypothesis and conclusion.
(~q~p)

pq : If two angles are vertical, then they are congruent.

~q~p: If they are not congruent, then two angles are not
vertical

Are these statements true or false?

Contrapositives are logically equivalent to the original conditional
statement.

• If pq is true,
then qp is true.
• If pq is false,
then qp is false.
 Biconditional 
• When a conditional statement and its
converse are both true, the two
statements may be combined.
• A statement combining a conditional
statement and its converse is a
biconditional.
• Use the phrase if and only if which is
abbreviated iff
• Use the symbol 
 Definitions are always biconditional

 Statement: pq
 If an angle is right then it measures 90.
 Converse: qp
 If an angle measures 90, then it is right.
 Biconditional: pq
 An angle is right iff it measures 90.
 Biconditional 
• A biconditional is in the form:
Hypothesis if and only if Conclusion.
or
Hypothesis iff Conclusion
or

Hypothesis  Conclusion
 Biconditionals in symbols

Since p  q
means pq AND qp,
pq
Is equivalent to
(pq)  (qp)