Mathematics 1A MATT101 / MATV111 / MATH111

Algebra Chapter 2 - Logic

TUTORIAL QUESTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS: Please remember to attempt these questions on you own or, as

one would recommend, with a group of fellow students before attending the tutorial
session. When you get to the tutorial session, you can then have the opportunity to
ask questions and seek assistance with parts that you struggled with.

1. State in each case if the sentence is a statement. If so, give the truth value of
the statement:
(a) The highest common factor (HCF) of 16 and 24 is a perfect square.
(b) 2+3=5
(c) p is an even number.
(d) 4>8
(e) The product of 𝑎 and 𝑏 is a hundred.
(f) Is this number divisible by 9?
(g) x>3
(h) Ten is expressible as the sum of two squares of natural numbers.
(i) There exists a natural number of which the square root is irrational.
(j) Any positive real number is smaller than or equal to its cube.

2. If A and B are true statements and C and D are false statements, determine
the truth value of each of the following compound statements:
(a) 𝐶 ⋁ (𝐴 ⇔ 𝐵)
(b) ¬(¬𝐴 ⋁ 𝐶) ⋀ 𝐵
(c) (𝐶 ⇔ 𝐷) ⋁ (𝐴 ⇒ ¬𝐵)
(d) ¬(𝐴 ⇒ 𝐶) ⋁ (𝐶 ⇒ 𝐷)
(e) ¬(¬𝐴 ⋀ (𝐵 ⋀ ¬𝐶))
3. Draw up truth tables for each of the following compound statements:
(a) ( B  B)
(b) A  ( B  C )
(c) ( P  (Q  Q ))  P
4. Give, in simplified form, the inverse, converse and contrapositive implications
for each of the following implications:
(a) ¬𝐵 ⇒ 𝐴
(b) (𝐴 ⋁ 𝐵) ⇒ (¬𝐵 ⋀ 𝐶)
(c) ( P  R)  P
5. Use a truth table to verify the claim in each case. State how you reached your
answer from the contents of the table:
(a) 𝐴 ∨ 𝐵 ≡ ¬𝐴 ⇒ 𝐵
(b) ¬(𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄) ≡ 𝑃 ∧ ¬𝑄
(c) 𝐴 ≡ 𝐴 ⋀ (𝐴 ⋁¬𝐵)
(d) (𝐴 ⋁ 𝐵) ⇒ 𝐶 ≡ (𝐴 ⇒ 𝐶) ⋀ (𝐵 ⇒ 𝐶)
6. Use a truth table to determine whether or not the argument is valid:
(a) 𝑃 ⋀ 𝑄 , ∴ 𝑃
(b) 𝐴 ∨ 𝐵, 𝐴 ⇒ 𝐶, 𝐵 ⇒ 𝐶, ∴ 𝐶
(c) C  D, D, C
7. Determine the truth value of each of the following statements:
(a) ∀ 𝑥 𝜖 ℝ, √𝑥 = 𝑥
(b) ∃ 𝑥 𝜖 ℕ, 𝑥 = 𝑥
(c) ∀ 𝑡 𝜖 ℝ, 𝑡 + 1 > 𝑡
(d) ∃ 𝑝 𝜖 ℤ, 𝑝 + 2 = 𝑝
(e) ∀ 𝑥 𝜖 ℕ, ∃ 𝑦 𝜖 ℕ, 𝑥 + 𝑦 is an even natural number
(f) ∀ 𝑥 𝜖 ℝ, ∃ 𝑦 𝜖 ℝ, 𝑥𝑦 = 𝜋
(g) ∃ 𝑎 𝜖 ℝ, ∀ 𝑏 𝜖 ℝ, √𝑎 + 𝑏 = √𝑎 + √𝑏
(h) ∀ 𝑥 𝜖 ℕ, ∀ 𝑦 𝜖 ℕ, 𝑥 + 2𝑦 is a composite number.
8. Write down the negation of each of the following statements in words and
symbolically:
(a) Every real number is less than some integer.
(b) The square of some natural number is equal to 3.
(c) For every real number 𝑥 there is at least one natural number 𝑦 which is
greater than or equal to 𝑥.
(d) There exists a real number x such that 3x is non-positive.
(e) For any two rational numbers p and q there is a rational number r
between them.
BONUS QUESTION FOR ENRICHMENT

Suppose you find yourself on Island X where there are exactly two types of people:
those who always tell the truth (called Truth-tellers) and those who always tell lies
(called Liars). You meet three people named Lin, Reiz and Nubin and they each tell
you the following:

Lin: “All three of us tell the truth.”

Reiz: “Exactly two of us tell the truth.”
Nubin: “Lin and Reiz are liars.”

Determine who is a Truth-teller and who is a Liar among the three of them.