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Assignment 01 Answers Part 2

This document provides solutions to two logic problems involving predicate logic. The first problem concludes that: 1) Dragonflies have six legs 2) Spiders are not insects The second problem concludes that: Harry is not a student

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Sivalingam Sivacumaran
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120 views

Assignment 01 Answers Part 2

This document provides solutions to two logic problems involving predicate logic. The first problem concludes that: 1) Dragonflies have six legs 2) Spiders are not insects The second problem concludes that: Harry is not a student

Uploaded by

Sivalingam Sivacumaran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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4.

(b) For each of the following sets of premises, what relevant conclusion or conclusions can be drawn?
Explain the rules of inferences in predicate logic used to obtain each conclusion from the premises.

(i) All insects have six legs. Dragonflies are insects. Spiders do not have six legs. Spiders eat dragonflies.

Solution:-

Domain for all is {animals}.

I(x): x is an insect. D(x): x is a dragonfly. L(x): x has six legs. S(x): x is a spider. E(x, y): x eats y.

All insects have six legs. ∀x[I(x) → L(x)]

Dragonflies are insects. ∀x(D(x) → I(x))

Spiders do not have six legs. ∀x(S(x) → ¬L(x))

Spiders eat dragonflies. ∀x((S(x) ∧ D(y) → E(x, y))

1. ∀x[I(x) → L(x)] Premise

2. I(c) → L(c) Universal instantiation from (1) If c is any insect then c has six legs.

3. ∀x(D(x) → I(x)) Premise

4. D(c) → I(c) Universal instantiation from (3) (may use the same c since both are “for all” statements
and c is arbitrary) If c is any dragonfly then c is an insect.

5. D(c) → L(c) Hypothetical syllogism from (2) and (4) If c is any dragonfly then c has six legs.

6. ∀x(D(x) → L(x)) Universal generalization from (5) All dragonflies have six legs, or just “Dragonflies have
six legs.”

7. ∀x(S(x) → ¬L(x)) Premise

8. S(c) → ¬L(c) Universal instantiation from (7) If c is any spider then c does not have six legs.

9. ¬L(c) → ¬I(c) Contrapositive of (2) If any c does not have six legs then c is not an insect.

10. S(c) → ¬I(c) Hypothetical syllogism from (8) and (9) If c is any spider then c is not an insect.

11. ∀x(S(x) → ¬I(x)) Universal generalization from (10) All spiders are not insects, or just “Spiders are not
insects.”
(ii) Every student has an Internet account. Harry does not have an Internet account. Kate has an Internet
account.

Solution:-

S(x): x is a student.

I(x): x has an internet account.

Domain for both is {people}.

Every student has an internet account. ∀x(S(x) → I(x))

Harry does not have an internet account. ¬I(Harry)

Kate has an internet account. I(Kate)

1. ∀x(S(x) → I(x)) Premise

2. S(Harry) → I(Harry)) Universal instantiation from (1) If Harry is a student then Harry has an internet
account.

3. ¬I(Harry) Premise

4. ¬S(Harry) Modus tollens from (2) and (3) Harry is not a student.

Note: You may NOT conclude that Kate is a student because that would be affirming the conclusion. The
condition does not say that if you have an internet account you must be a student.

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