LectureLogicRules.docVIP

Fundamentals of Logic Statements/Propositions – Sentences that are true or false but not both. (Just like a simple boolean expression or conditional expression in a programming language.) For our purposes, statements will simply be denoted by lowercase letters of the alphabet, typically p, q, and r. I will refer to these as boolean variables as well. Given simple statements, we can construct more complex statements using logical connectives. Here are 4 logical connectives we will use: Conjunction: This is denoted by the ‘(’ symbol. The statement p ( q is read as “p and q.” Only if both the values of p and q are true does this expression evaluate to true. Otherwise it is false. Disjunction: This is denoted by the ‘(’ symbol. The p ( q is read as “p or q.” As long as at least one of the values of p or q is true, the entire expression is true Implication: This is denoted by the ‘(’ symbol. The statement p ( q is read as “p implies q”. Essentially, in a programming language, this logic is captured in an if then statement. If p is true, the q must be true. However, if p is not true, there is no guarantee of the truth of q. An important observation to note: when statements are combined with an implication, there is no need for there to be a causal relationship between the two for the implication to be true. Consider the following implications: If my bread is green, then I will not eat it. Here, if the bread is not green, that does not guarantee that I will eat it. Perhaps it is wheat bread and I hate wheat bread. All I know is that if my bread is green, I will definitely NOT eat it. If Pluto is the largest planet in our solar system, then pigs will fly out of my butt. Wayne would actually be making a correct implication here, (assuming that we currently have accurate knowledge about our solar system...) Since the first part of our implication is false, the entire implication is automatically true. Biconditional: This is denoted by the ‘(’ symbol, and the statement p ( q