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Week 6 (Part 3)

The document covers formal methods in propositional logic, including the construction of truth tables and the concept of logical equivalence. It explains how to determine the truth value of propositions based on their variables and logical connectives. Additionally, it illustrates logical equivalence with examples, showing that two propositions can have identical truth tables.

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6 views8 pages

Week 6 (Part 3)

The document covers formal methods in propositional logic, including the construction of truth tables and the concept of logical equivalence. It explains how to determine the truth value of propositions based on their variables and logical connectives. Additionally, it illustrates logical equivalence with examples, showing that two propositions can have identical truth tables.

Uploaded by

maria ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CS636 Formal Methods

Topics Covered
Propositional Logic
References
• All the contents of this video lecture and PPT slides are taken from:

Theory and Problems of DISCRETE MATHEMATICS, Third


Edition, by SEYMOUR LIPSCHUTZ and MARC LARS LIPSON
PROPOSITIONS AND TRUTH
TABLES
• Let P(p, q, . . .) denote an expression constructed from logical
variables p, q, . . ., and the logical connectives ∧, ∨, and ¬, Such an
expression P(p, q, . . .) will be called a proposition.
• The truth value of a proposition is known once the truth value of each
of its variables is known.
How to construct a Truth Table
• Consider, for example, the proposition ¬(p∧¬q). Following is the truth table of
¬(p∧¬q)

• First columns of the table are for the variables p, q, . . . and that there are enough
rows in the table, to allow for all possible combinations of T and F for these
variables. (For 2 variables, as above, 4 rows are necessary; for 3 variables, 8 rows
are necessary; and, in general, for n variables, 2n rows are required.)
How to construct a Truth Table

• There is then a column for each “elementary” stage of the construction of


the proposition, the truth value at each step being determined from the
previous stages by the definitions of the connectives ∧, ∨, ¬.
• Finally we obtain the truth value of the proposition, which appears in the
last column.
How to construct a Truth Table
(alternate method)
LOGICAL EQUIVALENCE
• Two propositions P(p, q, . . .) and Q(p, q, . . .) are said to be logically
equivalent, or simply equivalent or equal, if they have identical truth
tables.
• Denoted by: P(p, q, . . .) ≡ Q(p, q, . . .)
• ¬(p ∧ q) ≡ ¬p ∨¬q
LOGICAL EQUIVALENCE
• ¬(p ∧ q) ≡ ¬p ∨¬q
• Let p be “Roses are red” and q be “Violets are blue.”
• Let S be the statement: “It is not true that roses are red and violets
are blue.”
• Then S = ¬(p ∧ q).
• However, as noted above, ¬(p ∧ q) ≡ ¬p ∨ ¬q. Accordingly, S has the
same meaning as the statement:
• “Roses are not red, or violets are not blue.”

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