Discrete Mathematics

13/09/2020

Abdurrahman Yusuf Haydar

Faculty of Computer Science and IT
Benadir University

1
1.1 Propositional logic
• Understand and construct correct
mathematical arguments
• Give precise meaning to mathematical
statements
• Rules are used to distinguish between valid
(true) and invalid arguments
• Used in numerous applications: circuit design,
programs, verification of correctness of
programs, artificial intelligence, etc.
2
Proposition
• A declarative sentence that is either true or
false, but not both
– Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia
– Somalia is located in eastern Europe
– 1+1=2
– 2+2=5
– What time is it?
– Read this carefully

3
Logical operators
• Negation operator
• Conjunction (and, ^)
• Disjunction (or v )
• Conditional statement 
• Biconditional statement 
• Exclusive Or

4
Negation

5
Example
• “Today is Friday”
– It is not the case that today is Friday
– Today is not Friday
• At least 10 inches of rain fell today in
Mogadishu
– It is not the case that at least 10 inches of rain fell
today in Mogadishu
– Less than 10 inches of rain fell today in Mogadishu

6
Conjunction

Conjunction: p ^ q is true when both p and q are

true. False otherwise

7
Example
• p: “Today is Friday”, q: “It is raining today”
• p˄q “Today is Friday and it is raining today”
– true: on rainy Fridays
– false otherwise:
• Any day that is not a Friday
• Fridays when it does not rain

8
Disjunction

Disjunction: p v q is false when both p and q are

false. True otherwise

9
Example
• p ˅ q: “Today is Friday or it is raining today”
– True:
• Today is Friday
• It is raining today
• It is a rainy Friday
– False
• Today is not Friday OR it does not rain

10
Exclusive or

Exclusive Or is true when exactly one

of p, q is true. False otherwise
11
Conditional statement

Conditional Statement:
•p is called the premise (or antecedent) and q is
called the conclusion (or consequent)
•p q is false when p is true and q is false. True
otherwise
12
 Conditional statement pq
• Also called an implication
if p, then q p implies q
if p, q p only if q
p is sufficient for q a sufficient condition for q is p
q if p q whenever p
q when p q is necessary for p
a necessary condition for p is q q follows from p
q unless ┐ p
Conditional Statement: pq is false when p is true and q is
false. True otherwise
Example
p: you go, q: I go. pq means “If you go, then I go” is
equivalent to p only if q “You go only if I go” (not the same
as “I go only if you go” which is q only if p) 13
pq
• p only if q:
– p cannot be true when q is not true
– The statement is false if p is true but q is
false
– When p is false, q may be either true or false
– Not to use “q only if p” to express pq
• q unless ┐ p
– If ┐ p is false, then q must be true
– The statement is false when p is true but q is
false, but the statement is true otherwise

14
Example
• If Maria learns discrete mathematics, then she
will find a good job
– Maria will find a good job when she learns
discrete mathematics (q when p)
– For Maria to get a good job, it is sufficient for her
to learn discrete mathematics (sufficient condition
for q is p)
– Maria will find a good job unless she does not
learn discrete mathematics (q unless not p)

15
Common mistake for pq
• Correct: p only if q
• Mistake to think “q only if p”

16
Example
• “If today is Friday, then 2+3=6”
– The statement is true every day except Friday
even though 2+3=6 is false

17
Converse, contrapositive and
inverse
• For conditional statement p q
– Converse: q p
– Contrapositive: ┐q  ┐ p
– Inverse: ┐p  ┐ q
• Contrapositive and conditional statements are
equivalent

18
Biconditional statement

• Biconditional Statement: “p if and only if q”

• p  q is true when p, q have the same truth
value. False otherwise
• Also known as bi-implications
19
Example
• P: “you can take the flight”, q: “you buy a
ticket”
• P  q: “You can take the flight if and only if
you buy a ticket”
– This statement is true
• If you buy a ticket and take the flight
• If you do not buy a ticket and you cannot take the flight

20
Truth table of compound propositions

21
Precedence of logic operators

22
Bit operations

23
1.2 Translating English to logical
expressions
Why?
English is often ambiguous and translating
sentences into compound propositions
removes the ambiguity
Using logical expressions, we can analyze them
and determine their truth values
We can use rules of inferences to reason about
them

24
Example
“ You can access the internet from campus only
if you are a computer science major or you are
not a freshman.
p : “You can access the internet from campus”
q : “You are a computer science major”
r : “You are freshmen”
p  ( q v ┐r )

25
System specification
• Translating sentences in natural language into
logical expressions is an essential part of
specifying both hardware and software
systems.
• Consistency of system specification.
• Example: Express the specification “The
automated reply cannot be sent when the file
system is full”

26
Example
1. Let p denote “The automated reply can be
sent”
2. Let q denote “The file system is full”
The logical expression for the sentence “The
automated reply cannot be sent when the
file system is full” is

27
Example
Determine whether these system specifications
are consistent:
1. The diagnostic message is stored in the
buffer or it is retransmitted.
2. The diagnostic message is not stored in the
buffer.
3. If the diagnostic message is stored in the
buffer, then it is retransmitted.

28
Example
• Let p denote “The diagnostic message is
stored in the buffer”
• Let q denote “The diagnostic message is
retransmitted”

The three specifications are

29
Example
• If we add one more requirement “The
diagnostic message is not retransmitted”
The new specifications now are

This is inconsistent! No truth values of p and q will

make all the above statements true
30
Logic gates

31