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Discrete Mathematics (Fall, 2023)

Problem 1 [12 points] Mr. Mouri Kogogoro is trying to prove a certain proposition P . He defines two
related propositions Q and R, and then proceeds to prove three implications:

P → Q, Q → R, R → P
Mr. Mouri Kogogoro then reasons as follows. If Q is true, then since I proved Q → R, I can conclude
that R is true. Now, since I proved R → P , I can conclude that P is true. Similarly, if R is true, then P
is true and so Q is true. Likewise, if P is true, then so are Q and R. So any way you look at it, all three
of P, Q and R are true.
(a) [7 pts] Exhibit truth tables for
(P → Q) ∧ (Q → R) ∧ (R → P ) (1)
and for
P ∧Q∧R (2)
Use these tables to find a truth assignment for P , Q, R so that (1) is True and (2) is false.
(b) [5 pts] You show these truth tables to Mr. Mouri Kogogoro and he says OK, Im wrong that P, Q and
R all have to be true, but I still dont see the mistake in my reasoning. Can you help me understand my
mistake? How would you explain to Sammy where the flaw lies in his reasoning?
Problem 2 [9 points] Translate the following sentences from English to predicate logic. The domain that
you are working over is X, the set of people. You may use the functions S(x), meaning that ”x has been
a student, ”U(x), meaning that ”x has taken the course UEE2103,” A(x), meaning that ”x has gotten an
’A+’ in UEE2103,” T(x), meaning that ”x is a TA of UEE2103,” B(x,y), meaning that ”x has broken up
with y, and E(x,y), meaning that ”x and y are the same person.”
(a) [3 pts] There are some students who have broken up with other student(s) and not gotten ’A+’s in
UEE2103.
(b) [3 pts] If the students of UEE2103 break up with other student(s) of UEE2103, then they did not get
’A+’s in UEE2103.
(c) [3 pts] There are no people who are UEE2103’s TAs and did not get ’A’s in UEE2103 or did not
break up with someone who takes UEE2103.

Problem 3 [8 pts] Use a truth table to prove or disprove the following statements:
(a) [4pts] P → (Q ∨ R) ≡ (P ∧ Q) → R
(b) [4pts] ¬(P ∧ (Q ∨ R)) ≡ ¬P ∨ (¬Q ∧ ¬R)
Problem 4 [10 pts] Use the Well Ordering Principle to prove that any integer greater than or equal to
50 can be represented as the sum of nonnegative integer multiples of 7, 11, and 13.
[Hint] Recall the example of postage.
Problem 5 [12 points]
(a) [6 pts] Suppose that a + b + c = d, where a, b, c, and d are nonnegative integer. Let P be the assertion
that d is even. Let W be the assertion that exactly one among a, b, and c are even, and let T be the
assertion that all three are even. Prove by cases that P IFF (W or T ).
(b) [6 pts] Now suppose that w2 + x2 + y 2 = z 2 , where w, x, y, and z always denote nonnegative integers.
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Let P be the assertion that z is even, and let R be the assertion that all three of w, x, and y are even.
Prove by cases that P IFF R.
Problem 6 [10 pts] Two players sit facing each other, call them Wahaha and Ulala. The robot secretly
generates two consecutive natural numbers and print them on two slips of paper, and tapes each piece on
the two players foreheads (one on each). Wahaha can see the number taped to Ulalas forehead, and vice
versa. So they both know the number thats not their own. They also both know that the two numbers are
consecutive. One player, say Wahaha, begins the game by asking ulala if she knows what her number
is. If she does, she says so and the game ends. If not, Wahahas turn ends and Ulala gets her chance to
ask him if he knows his number. As before, if he does then he says so and the game ends. Otherwise,
it becomes his turn again, and he repeats his original question to Ulala. This back and forth questioning
continues until someone finally says Yes, if ever. Does this game ever end? Sometimes? Never? Always?
If it always ends, suppose two numbers are n − 1 and n, prove by induction how many runs does it need.
Problem 7 (9 points) Prove that if m is a positive integer of the form 4k + 3 for some non-negative
integer k, then m is not the sum of the squares of two integers.

Problem 8 [13 pts] During UEE2103, the students are sitting in an n × n grid. A sudden outbreak of
panda flu (a rare variant of bird flu that lasts forever; symptoms include yearning for homework and
projects) causes some students to get infected. Here is an example where n = 6 and infected students are
marked ×.
× ×
×
× ×

×
× ×
Now the infection begins to spread every minute (in discrete time-steps). Two students are considered
adjacent if they share an edge (i.e., front, back, left or right, but NOT diagonal); thus, each student is
adjacent to 2, 3 or 4 others. A student is infected in the next time step if either (1) the student was
previously infected (since panda flu lasts forever), or (2) the student is adjacent to at least two already-
infected students.
Theorem. If fewer than n students in class are initially infected, the whole class will never be completely
infected. Prove this theorem.
Problem 9 [7 pts] There are two types of creature on planet Char, Z-lings and B-lings. Furthermore,
every creature belongs to a particular generation. The creatures in each generation reproduce according
to certain rules and then die off. The subsequent generation consists entirely of their offspring.
The creatures of Char pair with a mate in order to reproduce. First, as many Z-B pairs as possible are
formed. The remaining creatures form Z-Z pairs or B-B pairs, depending on whether there is an excess
of Z-lings or of B-lings. If there are an odd number of creatures, then one in the majority species dies
without reproducing. The number and type of offspring is determined by the types of the parents
• If both parents are Z-lings, then they have three Z-ling offspring.
• If both parents are B-lings, then they have two B-ling offspring and one Z-ling offspring.
• If there is one parent of each type, then they have one offspring of each type.
There are 200 Z-lings and 800 B-lings in the first generation. Use induction to prove that the number of
Z-lings will always be at most twice the number of B-lings.

Hint: You may want to use a stronger hypothesis for the induction.
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Problem 10 [10 pts] The game of Mini-nim is defined as follows: Some positive number of sticks are
placed on the ground. Two players take turns removing one, two, or three sticks. The player to remove
the last one loses. Use strong induction to show that:
The second player has a winning strategy if the number of sticks, equals 4k +1 for some k ∈ N; otherwise,
the first player has a winning strategy.