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Discrete Mathematics: Chapter 1: The Foundations: Logic and Proofs Section 1.5: Nested Quantifiers

The document discusses nested quantifiers in logic, where one quantifier is within the scope of another. It provides examples of translating statements with nested quantifiers into English and logical expressions. The order of quantifiers can change the meaning, and negating quantified expressions involves switching the quantifier.

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Ahmed Hussain
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43 views11 pages

Discrete Mathematics: Chapter 1: The Foundations: Logic and Proofs Section 1.5: Nested Quantifiers

The document discusses nested quantifiers in logic, where one quantifier is within the scope of another. It provides examples of translating statements with nested quantifiers into English and logical expressions. The order of quantifiers can change the meaning, and negating quantified expressions involves switching the quantifier.

Uploaded by

Ahmed Hussain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Instructor:

Discrete Mathematics  Dr Ghulam Mustafa

Chapter 1: The Foundations: Logic and Proofs


Section 1.5 : Nested Quantifiers 
Nested quantifiers

• Two quantifiers are nested if one is within the scope of the other.

• ∀x Q(x)
• Q(x) is ∃yP(x,y)
• P(x,y) is (x + y = 0)
Nested quantifiers (example)

• Translate the following statement into English.


• ∀x∀y (x + y = y + x)
• Domain: real numbers

Solution:

• For all real numbers x and y, x + y = y + x.


Nested quantifiers (example)

• Translate the following statement into English.


• ∀x∃y (x = - y)
• Domain: real numbers

Solution:

• For every real number x, there is a real number y such that x = - y.


Nested quantifiers (example)

• Translate the following statement into English.


• ∀ x ∀ y ((x > 0) ^ (y < 0) → (xy < 0))
• Domain: real numbers
Solution:
• For every real numbers x and y, if x is positive and y is negative
then xy is negative.
• The product of a positive real number and a negative real number
is always a negative real number.
The order of quantifiers

• Assume P(x,y) is (x + y = 10).


• ∀x∃y P(x,y) domain: real numbers
• For all real numbers x there is a real number y such that x + y = 10.
True (y = 10 - x)
• ∃y∀x P(x,y) domain: real numbers
• There is a real number y such that for all real numbers x, x + y = 10.
False
• So, ∀x∃y P(x,y) and ∃y∀x P(x,y) are not logically equivalent.
Quantification of two variable
Nested quantifiers (example)

• Translate the following statement into a logical expression.


• “The sum of two positive integers is always positive.”
• Solution:
• 􀀁 Translate it to a logical expression
• “For all integers x, y, if x and y are positive, then x+y is positive.”
• ∀ x ∀ y ((x > 0) ^ (y > 0) → (x + y > 0)) domain: integers
• ∀ x ∀ y (x + y > 0) domain: positive integers
Nested quantifiers (example)
• Translate the following statement into logical expression.
“If a person is a student and is computer science major, then this
person takes a course in mathematics. ”

Solution:
• Determine individual propositional functions
• S(x): x is a student.
• C(x): x is a computer science major.
• T(x,y): x takes a course y.
• Translate the sentence into logical expression
∀x((S(x) ^ C(x)) → ∃yT(x,y))
Domain of x: all people
Domain of y: all courses in mathematics
Negating quantified expressions

¬ ∀x P(x) ∃x ¬P(x)

¬ ∃x P(x) ∀x ¬P(x)
Negating nested quantifiers
(example)

What is the negation of the following statement?


∀x∃y(x = -y)
Solution:
¬∀x P(x) P(x) = ∃y (x = -y)
∃x ¬P(x)
∃x(¬∃y(x = -y))
∃x(∀y ¬(x = -y))
∃x∀y (x <> -y)

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