MTS102 - Discrete Structures (Discrete Mathematics) 2021: Nested Quantifiers

MTS102 - Discrete Structures
(Discrete Mathematics)
2021
Lecture - 5
Nested
Quantifiers
Quantifiers with Restricted Domain
•
•
•
•
Nested Quantifiers
• Two quantifiers are nested if one is within scope of other,
such as
∀x∃y(x + y = 0).
• Everything within the scope of a quantifier can be thought

of as a propositional function.
• For example,
∀x∃y(x + y = 0)
is the same thing as ∀xQ(x), where Q(x) is ∃yP(x, y), where P(x, y)
is x + y = 0.
Nested Quantifiers
•
• “For all , there exists a such that”.
• Example:
• where and are integers
• There exists an x such that for all , is true”

• Example:
• THINK QUANTIFICATION AS LOOPS

Nested Quantifiers Example
• Let Domain of is the students in this class
Doamin of is the courses in software engineering
= “ takes course ” true when takes course
otherwise false.
Translate the following logical expression:
Meaning of multiple quantifiers
•Suppose
= “x likes y.”
Domain of x: {St1, St2}; Domain of y: {Cricket, Hockey}
•
• true for all x, y pairs.
• true for at least one x, y pair.
• For every value of x we can find a (possibly

different) y so that P(x,y) is true.
• There is at least one x for which P(x,y) is

always true.
Predicates - the meaning of multiple quantifiers
Statement When True? When False?

∀x∀yP(x, y) P(x, y) is true for every There is a pair x, y for
∀y∀xP(x, y) pair x, y. which P(x, y) is false.
∀x∃yP(x, y) For every x there is a y There is an x such that
for which P(x, y) is true. P(x, y) is false for every
y.
∃x∀yP(x, y) There is an x for which For every x there is a y
P(x, y) is true for every y. for which P(x, y) is false.
∃x∃yP(x, y) There is a pair x, y for P(x, y) is false for every
∃y∃xP(x, y) which P(x, y) is true. pair x, y.
Example
• Let Q(x, y) denote “x + y = 0.” What are the truth values of
the quantifications ∃y∀xQ(x, y) and ∀x∃yQ(x, y), where
the domain for all variables consists of all real numbers?
• Solution:
The quantification ∃y∀xQ(x, y) denotes the proposition
“There is a real number y such that for every real number
x, Q(x, y).”
• No matter what value of y is chosen, there is only one
value of x for which x + y = 0. Because there is no real
number y such that x + y = 0 for all real numbers x, the
statement ∃y∀xQ(x, y) is false.
Example
• The quantification ∀x∃yQ(x, y) denotes the proposition
“For every real number x there is a real number y such
that Q(x, y).”
• Given a real number x, there is a real number y such that

x + y = 0; namely, y = −x.
• Hence, the statement ∀x∃yQ(x, y) is true.
Order of Quantifiers
• xy and xy are not equivalent!

• xy P(x,y)
• P(x,y) = (x+y == 0) is false
• xy P(x,y)
• P(x,y) = (x+y == 0) is true
Example
•
Domain: Real numbers
• True/False???
• For all real numbers x and for all real numbers y there is a
real number z such that .
• True
• True/False???
• There is a real number z such that for all real numbers x
and for all real numbers y it is true that .
• False
Translating between English and Quantifiers
• Translate the statement “The sum of two positive integers
is always positive” into a logical expression.
• Solution:
• First rewrite it so that the implied quantifiers and a domain
are shown: “For every two integers, if these integers are
both positive, then the sum of these integers is positive.”
• Next, introduce the variables x and y to obtain “For all
positive integers x and y, x + y is positive.”
• Statement is ∀x∀y((x > 0) ∧ (y > 0) → (x +y > 0)),
• where the domain for both variables consists positive
integers.
Translating between English and Quantifiers
• Translate the statement
∀x(C(x) ∨ ∃y(C(y) ∧ F(x, y)))
into English, where C(x) is “x has a computer,” F(x, y) is “x
and y are friends,” and the domain for both x and y
consists of all students in your school.
• Solution:
• The statement says that for every student x in your
school, x has a computer or there is a student y such that
y has a computer and x and y are friends.
• In other words, every student in your school has a
computer or has a friend who has a computer.
Chapter Reading
• Chapter 1, Kenneth H. Rosen, Discrete Mathematics and
Its Applications, Section 1.5

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MTS102 - Discrete Structures

• Everything within the scope of a quantifier can be thought

• There exists an x such that for all , is true”

• THINK QUANTIFICATION AS LOOPS

• true for at least one x, y pair.

• For every value of x we can find a (possibly

• There is at least one x for which P(x,y) is

Statement When True? When False?

• Given a real number x, there is a real number y such that

• xy and xy are not equivalent!

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