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CMSC 56 Handout 1 - Syntax and Semantics of Propositional Logic

This document summarizes key concepts in propositional logic including: - Propositions are declarative sentences that are either true or false - Syntax involves logical connectives like negation, conjunction, disjunction, implication, and equivalence - Semantics assign truth values according to rules like "P and Q are true" for conjunction - Truth tables are used to determine if a propositional statement is a contingency, contradiction, or tautology by listing all combinations of truth values for variables.

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321 views1 page

CMSC 56 Handout 1 - Syntax and Semantics of Propositional Logic

This document summarizes key concepts in propositional logic including: - Propositions are declarative sentences that are either true or false - Syntax involves logical connectives like negation, conjunction, disjunction, implication, and equivalence - Semantics assign truth values according to rules like "P and Q are true" for conjunction - Truth tables are used to determine if a propositional statement is a contingency, contradiction, or tautology by listing all combinations of truth values for variables.

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CK Luna
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CMSC 56: DISCRETE MATHEMATICAL STRUCTURES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE I SYNTAX AND SEMANTICS OF PROPOSITIONAL LOGIC

A PROPOSITION is a part of logic that deals with sentences that are either true or false but not both. It is also a declarative sentence of which the truth value is definitely known or can be validly determined. Convention: T = true F = false Propositions: P, Q, R Assumptions: Law of Excluded Middle: for every proposition P, either P is true or P is false. Law of Contradiction: for every proposition P, it is not the case that P is both true and false. SYNTAX structures of sentences in propositional logic. LOGICAL CONNECTIVES
Name Symbol Syntax Verbal Form not P Equivalent Term Other Keywords the denial of P; it is not the case that P both P and Q; but; while either P or Q; at least one of Q if P; P only if Q; Q when P; Q provided the P; P is a sufficient condition for Q; Q is a necessary condition for P P is equivalent to Q

SEMANTICS assignment of truth value to a sentence SEMANTICS RULES FOR BASIC COMPOUND PROPOSITIONS
Rule not rule and rule or rule if-then rule if-and-onlyif rule Compound Proposition ~P PQ PQ PQ PQ True whenever P is false both P and Q are true at least one of P and Q is true either P is false or Q is true both P and Q have the same truth values False whenever P is true At least one of P and Q is false Both P and Q are false P is true and Q is false P and Q have different truth values

KINDS OF PROPOSITIONAL STATEMENTS Contingency a sentence that is true for some interpretation; Contradiction a sentence that is false for every interpretation; also called an absurdity Tautology a sentence that is true for every interpretation; also called a valid sentence TRUTH TABLE - used to determine if a sentence is a contingency, a contradiction or a tautology Steps in constructing a truth table: 1. The first n columns are labeled by the component propositional variables. Further columns are constructed for all intermediate combinations of statements. n 2. Under each of the first n headings, list all the 2 combinations of truth values for the propositional variables. Each combination is listed on a separate row. 3. For each row, compute all the remaining truth values. The sentence is a contingency if the last column contains some entries which are true; a contradiction if all entries are false; and a tautology if all entries are true.

not

~P

Negation

and

PQ

P and Q

Conjunction

or

PQ

P or Q

Disjunction

if-then

PQ

if P then Q; P implies Q

Implication; conditional

if-andonly-if

PQ

P if and only if Q

Equivalence; biconditional

PRECEDENCE RULES
if the compound propositions are not grouped, they are evaluated in the ff order: ~, , , ,

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