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Semantic Weekly Assignment: Unit 14 & Unit 15

The document discusses logical connectives in English and their representation in propositional logic. It covers the connectives "and" and "or", represented by "&" and "V", which join simple propositions to form complex ones. It also discusses the negation operator "~" which negates a proposition. Finally, it introduces the biconditional connective "=" which expresses "if and only if" and connects two propositions. The document establishes the foundation of propositional logic by explaining how these connectives represent the combining and negation of propositions.

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Puthut Filth
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139 views3 pages

Semantic Weekly Assignment: Unit 14 & Unit 15

The document discusses logical connectives in English and their representation in propositional logic. It covers the connectives "and" and "or", represented by "&" and "V", which join simple propositions to form complex ones. It also discusses the negation operator "~" which negates a proposition. Finally, it introduces the biconditional connective "=" which expresses "if and only if" and connects two propositions. The document establishes the foundation of propositional logic by explaining how these connectives represent the combining and negation of propositions.

Uploaded by

Puthut Filth
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SEMANTIC WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

Unit 14 & Unit 15


CONNECTIVES: AND AND OR
and

MORE CONNECTIVES

by
PUTHUT PANDU WIJAYA

0203519027

SEMARANG STATE UNIVERSITY


POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM
2020
UNIT 14 CONNECTIVES: AND AND OR

The English words and and or correspond (roughly) to logical connectives.


Connectives provide a way of joining simple propositions to form complex propositions.
A logical analysis must state exactly how joining propositions by means of a connective
affects the truth of the complex propositions so formed. We start with the connective
corresponding to and, firstly introducing a notation for complex propositions formed with
this connective.
For example, take the three simple formulae:
c COME g (Caesar came to Gaul)
c SEE g (Caesar saw Gaul)
c CONQUER g (Caesar conquered Gaul)
From these, a single complex formula can be formed:
(c COME g) & (c SEE g) & (c CONQUER g)
Sometimes English can express a compound proposition in an apparently simple
sentence.
For example, Adolfo and Benito are Italian would be represented by the complex
formula aITALIAN & b ITALIAN. This brings out clearly the fact that it is a
paraphrase of Adolfo is Italian and Benito is Italian. (Again, a & b ITALIAN would not
be a well-formed formula, because we have stipulated earlier that in our system of logical
notation only propositions can be conjoined with &.)
The thesis of COMPOSITIONALITY of meaning is that the meaning of any
expression is a function of the meanings of the parts of which it is composed. The logical
connectives & (corresponding to English and and but) and V (roughly English or) are
used to form complex propositional formulae by connecting simple propositional
formulae. Rules of inference can be given involving these connectives, and they can be
defined by means of truth tables.
UNIT 15 MORE CONNECTIVES

The connective ~ used in propositional logic is paraphrasable as English not.


Strictly speaking, ~ does not CONNECT propositions, as do & and V. ~ is prefixed to the
formula for a single proposition, producing its negation. ~ is sometimes called the
‘negation operator’, rather than the ‘negation connective’. But it is traditional to group
the negation operator with the other connectives, and we will do so here.
For example:
If b SLEEP stands for Bill slept,
then ~b SLEEP stands for Bill didn’t sleep.

A further logical connective is indicated with the symbol =. This expresses the
meaning of if and only if in English. The linking of two propositions by = produces what
is called a ‘biconditional’
For example:
The meaning of Ada is married to Ben if and only if Ben is married to Ada
could be represented as (a MARRY b) = (b MARRY a)

The logical negation operator ~ corresponds fairly closely with English not or n’t
in meaning, and can be defined both by truth table and by rules of inference. The logical
connectives -> (conditional) and -(biconditional) cannot be defined by truth table in any
way which closely reflects the meanings of English if ...then and if and only if. However,
rules of inference can be given for them which fairly accurately reflect valid inferences in
English involving if ...then and if and only if. Now that you are familiar with these
connectives, the conjunction and disjunction connectives of the previous unit, and the
negation operator, you have met all the formal apparatus that together forms the system
known as ‘propositional logic’, or ‘propositional calculus’. This branch of Logic deals
with the ways in which propositions can be connected (and negated) and the effect which
these operations (of connection and negation) have in terms of truth and falsehood. This
establishes a solid foundation for more advanced work in logic.

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