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Propositional Logic_

Propositional logic involves declarative statements that can be true or false, represented by propositional variables and combined using logical connectives such as negation, conjunction, disjunction, implication, and equivalence. Truth tables are used to determine the truth values of compound propositions, while logical equivalences establish relationships between propositions. This framework is applicable in computer science, mathematics, and philosophy, although it has limitations in capturing the nuances of natural language.

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2 views2 pages

Propositional Logic_

Propositional logic involves declarative statements that can be true or false, represented by propositional variables and combined using logical connectives such as negation, conjunction, disjunction, implication, and equivalence. Truth tables are used to determine the truth values of compound propositions, while logical equivalences establish relationships between propositions. This framework is applicable in computer science, mathematics, and philosophy, although it has limitations in capturing the nuances of natural language.

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joshuasales640
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Propositional Logic:

1. Core Concepts

● Propositions:

○Declarative statements that are either true or false, but not both.
○Examples:
■ "The sky is blue." (True/False)
■ "2 + 2 = 5." (False)
■ "It is raining." (True/False depending on the weather)
● Propositional Variables:

○ Symbols (usually capital letters like P, Q, R) that represent propositions.


● Logical Connectives:

○ Operators that combine propositions to form more complex statements.


○ Key Connectives:
■ Negation (¬): "not" - Reverses the truth value of a proposition.
■ Example: ¬P ("not P") is true when P is false, and false when P is true.
■ Conjunction (∧): "and" - True only when both propositions are true.
■ Example: P ∧ Q ("P and Q") is true only if both P and Q are true.
■ Disjunction (∨): "or" - True if at least one of the propositions is true.
■ Example: P ∨ Q ("P or Q") is true if P is true, Q is true, or both are true.
■ Implication (→): "if...then..." - False only when the first proposition is true and the
second proposition is false.
■ Example: P → Q ("If P, then Q") is false only when P is true and Q is
false.
■ Equivalence (↔): "if and only if" - True when both propositions have the same truth
value.
■ Example: P ↔ Q ("P if and only if Q") is true when both P and Q are
true, or both are false.

2. Truth Tables

● Systematic way to determine the truth value of a compound proposition for all possible
combinations of truth values for its individual propositions.
● Example: Truth table for P ∧ Q:

P Q P∧
Q

T T T

T F F

F T F
F F F

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3. Logical Equivalences

● Propositions that have the same truth value for all possible truth assignments of their variables
are logically equivalent.
● Important Equivalences:
○ Commutative Laws: P ∧ Q ≡ Q ∧ P; P ∨ Q ≡ Q ∨ P
○ Associative Laws: (P ∧ Q) ∧ R ≡ P ∧ (Q ∧ R); (P ∨ Q) ∨ R ≡ P ∨ (Q ∨ R)
○ Distributive Laws: P ∧ (Q ∨ R) ≡ (P ∧ Q) ∨ (P ∧ R); P ∨ (Q ∧ R) ≡ (P ∨ Q) ∧ (P ∨ R)
○ De Morgan's Laws: ¬(P ∧ Q) ≡ ¬P ∨ ¬Q; ¬(P ∨ Q) ≡ ¬P 1 ∧ ¬Q
○ 1. math.stackexchange.com
○ math.stackexchange.com
○
○ Law of Implication: P → Q ≡ ¬P ∨ Q

4. Applications

● Computer Science:
○ Designing digital circuits (Boolean logic)
○ Programming languages
○ Artificial intelligence
● Mathematics:
○ Set theory
○ Proof theory
● Philosophy:
○ Formalizing arguments
○ Symbolic logic

5. Limitations

● Doesn't capture the meaning or context of natural language.


● Can't represent complex relationships between objects or properties.

Key Takeaway:

Propositional logic provides a foundational framework for understanding how to reason logically with
statements. By mastering the concepts of propositions, connectives, and truth tables, you can analyze and
evaluate the validity of arguments and solve a wide range of problems in various fields.

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