Module in

Discrete Mathematics

SESSION TOPIC : QUANTIFIERS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session you will:

1. explain the concept of universal and existential quantifiers
2. translate statements using quantifiers
3. negate the given quantifiers

KEY TERMS
universe atomic formula universal quantifier existential quantifier
bound free

CORE CONTENT

A predicate name followed by a list of variables such as P(x, y), where P is a predicate name,
and x and y are variables, is called an atomic formula.

Consider: x>1 (How do you interpret it?)

A predicate with variables (called an atomic formula) can be made a proposition by applying
one of the following two operations to each of its variables:

1. assign a value to the variable

2. quantify the variable using a quantifier

Two Types of Quantifiers

1. Universal
2. Existential

The universal quantifier turns, for example, the statement x > 1 to "for every object x in the
universe, x > 1", which is expressed as " x x > 1". This new statement is true or false in the
universe of discourse. Hence it is a proposition once the universe is specified.

Similarly, the existential quantifier turns, for example, the statement x > 1 to "for some
object x in the universe, x > 1", which is expressed as " x x > 1." Again, it is true or false in the
universe of discourse, and hence it is a proposition once the universe is specified.
Universe
 set of objects of interest
 domain of the (individual) variables
 can be the set of real numbers, the set of integers, the set of all cars on a parking lot, the
set of all students in a classroom etc.

THE UNIVERSAL QUANTIFIER ( )

 The expression: x P(x), denotes the universal quantification of the atomic formula
P(x). Translated into the English language, the expression is understood as: "For all x,
P(x) holds", "for each x, P(x) holds" or "for every x, P(x) holds".
 is called the universal quantifier, and x means all the objects x in the universe. If
this is followed by P(x) then the meaning is that P(x) is true for every object x in the
universe.

For example, "All cars have wheels" could be transformed into the propositional form, x P(x),
where:

 P(x) is the predicate denoting: x has wheels, and

 the universe of discourse is only populated by cars.

Universal Quantifier and Connective AND

The universal quantification x P(x) is equivalent to conjunction: P(x1)) P(x2) P(x3) ...
P(xn) .

Example: In the above example of x P(x), if we knew that there were only 4 cars in our
universe of discourse (c1, c2, c3 and c4) then we could also translate the statement as: P(c1)
P(c2) P(c3) P(c4)

THE EXISTENTIAL QUANTIFIER ( )

 The expression: xP(x), denotes the existential quantification of P(x). Translated into
the English language, the expression could also be understood as: "There exists an x such
that P(x)" or "There is at least one x such that P(x)"
 is called the existential quantifier, and x means at least one object x in the universe.
If this is followed by P(x) then the meaning is that P(x) is true for at least one object x of
the universe.

For example, "Someone loves you" could be transformed into the propositional form, x P(x),
where:

 P(x) is the predicate meaning: x loves you,

 The universe of discourse contains (but is not limited to) all living creatures.
Existential Quantifier and Connective OR
The existential quantification xP(x) is equivalent to the disjunction: P(x1) P(x2) P(x3)
... P(xn).

For example, in the above example of x P(x), if we knew that there were only 5 living
creatures in our universe of discourse (say: me, he, she, rex and fluff), then we could also write
the statement as: P(me) P(he) P(she) P(rex) P(fluff)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. An appearance of a variable is said to be bound if either a specific value is assigned to it

or it is quantified. If an appearance of a variable is not bound, it is called free.
2. The extent of the application(effect) of a quantifier, called the scope of the quantifier, is
indicated by square brackets [ ]. If there are no square brackets, then the scope is
understood to be the smallest wff following the quantification.

Example:
1. In x P(x, y), the variable x is bound while y is free.

2.In x [ y P(x, y) Q(x, y) ] , x and the y in P(x, y) are bound, while y in Q(x, y) is free,
because the scope of y is P(x, y). The scope of x is [ y P(x, y) Q(x, y) ] .

HOW TO READ QUANTIFIED FORMULAS

 When reading quantified formulas in English, read them from left to right.
 x can be read as "for every object x in the universe the following holds"
 x can be read as "there exists an object x in the universe which satisfies the following"
or "for some object x in the universe the following holds".

Examples:
Let the universe be the set of airplanes and let F(x, y) denote "x flies faster than y".
1. x y F(x, y) can be translated initially as "For every airplane x the following holds: x is
faster than every (any) airplane y". In simpler English it means "Every airplane is faster
than every airplane (including itself !)".
2. x y F(x, y) can be read initially as "For every airplane x the following holds: for some
airplane y, x is faster than y". In simpler English it means "Every airplane is faster than
some airplane".
3. x y F(x, y)
4. x y F(x, y)

MORE ABOUT QUANTIFIERS

1. Universal
  ∀x(x2≥0), i.e., "the square of any number is not negative.''
 ∀x(x+y=y+x), i.e., the commutative law of addition.
 ∀x (x is a square ⇒x is a rectangle), i.e., "all squares are rectangles.''
 ∀x(x lives in Walla Walla ⇒x lives in Washington), i.e., "every person who lives
in Walla Walla lives in Washington.''
 every negative x has a negative cube.'' This should be written symbolically
as ∀x((x<0)⇒(x3<0)).
 "If two numbers have the same square, then they have the same absolute value'' should be
written as ∀x∀y((x2=y2)⇒(|x|=|y|))
 "No triangles are rectangles,'' can be written ∀x (x is a triangle ⇒x is not a
rectangle)

2.Existential

∃x(x is a professor ∧ x is a republican) i.e., "some professor is a republican.''

∃x(x is a prime number ∧ x is even) i.e., "some prime number is even.''
 ∃x<0(x2=1) stands for ∃x((x<0)∧(x2=1))

IN-TEXT ACTIVITY

 Video discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw8iID1R1xU universal and existential quantifier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJpezCUMOxA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HvCgm4vBv4 negation and translation

 Additional Lecture (pdf)

(to be uploaded to mrooms.lpu.net)

SELF ASSESSMENT

Seatwork

Express the following as formulas involving quantifiers:

a) Any number raised to the fourth power is non-negative.

 b) Some number raised to the third power is negative.

QUIZ

REFERENCES

https://www.cs.odu.edu/~cs381/cs381content/logic/pred_logic/quantification/quantification.html
https://www.javatpoint.com/quantifiers-in-discrete-mathematic
https://www.whitman.edu/mathematics/higher_math_online/section01.02.html