SMU Classification: Sensitive
Tutorial 1. Logical Reasoning Part I
1. Let ℎ = “John is healthy,” 𝑤 = “John is wealthy,” and 𝑠 = “John is wise.”
Write the statements in symbolic form using the symbols ~,∨ and ∧ and the
indicated letters to represent component statements.
a. John is healthy and wealthy but not wise.
b. John is not wealthy, but he is healthy and wise.
c. John is neither healthy, wealthy, nor wise.
d. John is neither wealthy nor wise, but he is healthy.
e. John is wealthy, but he is not both healthy and wise.
2. Write the negations for the following statements in plain English.
a. Sam is an orange belt and Kate is a red belt.
b. The train is late or my watch is fast.
c. This computer program has a logical error in the first ten lines or it is
being run with an incomplete data set.
d. The dollar is at an all-time high and the stock market is at a record
low.
3. Let the symbol ⊕ denote exclusive or; so 𝑝 ⊕ 𝑞 = (𝑝 ∨ 𝑞) ∧ ~(𝑝 ∧ 𝑞).
a. Find simpler forms that are logically equivalent to 𝑝 ⊕ 𝑝 and
(𝑝 ⊕ 𝑝) ⊕ 𝑝. Justify your answer.
b. Is (𝑝 ⊕ 𝑞) ⊕ 𝑟 ≡ 𝑝 ⊕ (𝑞 ⊕ 𝑟)? Justify your answer.
4. Determine whether the following statement forms are logically equivalent:
𝑝 → (𝑞 → 𝑟) and (𝑝 → 𝑞) → 𝑟
Justify your solution.
5. a. Show that the following statement forms are all logically equivalent:
𝑝 → 𝑞 ∨ 𝑟, 𝑝 ∧ ~𝑞 → 𝑟, 𝑝 ∧ ~𝑟 → 𝑞
b. Use the logical equivalences established in part (a) to rewrite the
following sentence in two different ways. (Assume that n represents a fixed
integer.)
if n is prime, then n is odd or n is 2.
SMU Classification: Sensitive
6. Suppose that p and q are statements so that 𝑝 → 𝑞 is false. Find the truth
values of each of the following:
a. ~𝑝 → 𝑞
b. 𝑝∨𝑞
c. 𝑞→𝑝
7. Write negations for each of the following statements. (Assume that all
variables represent fixed quantities or entities).
a. If today is New Year’s Eve, then tomorrow is January.
b. If n is prime, then n is odd or n is 2.
c. If n is divisible by 6, then n is divisible by 2 and n is divisible by 3.
8. Some of the following arguments are valid, whereas others exhibit error.
Use symbols to write the logical form of each argument. If the argument is
valid, identify the rule of inference that guarantees its validity. Otherwise,
state that that an error is made.
a. This real number is rational or it is irrational.
This real number is not rational.
∴ This real number is irrational.
b. If I go to the movies, I won’t finish my homework.
If I don’t finish my homework, I won’t do well on the exam tomorrow.
∴ If I go to the movies, I won’t do well on the exam tomorrow.
c. If this number is larger than 2, then its square is larger than 4.
This number is not larger than 2.
∴ The square of this number is not larger than 4.
d. If there are as many rational numbers as there are irrational
numbers, then the set of all irrational numbers is infinite.
The set of all irrational numbers is infinite.
∴ There are as many rational numbers as there are irrational
numbers.
e. Sandra knows Java and Sandra knows C++.
∴ Sandra knows C++.
SMU Classification: Sensitive
9. Use rule of inference to deduce the conclusion from the premises, giving a
reason for each step. Assume all variables are statement variables.
a. ~𝑝 → 𝑟 ∧ ~𝑠
b. 𝑡 → 𝑠
c. 𝑢 → ~𝑝
d. ~𝑤
e. 𝑢 ∨ 𝑤
f. ∴ ~𝑡
10. Use rule of inference to deduce the conclusion from the premises, giving a
reason for each step. Assume all variables are statement variables.
a. 𝑝 ∨ 𝑞
b. 𝑞 → 𝑟
c. 𝑝 ∧ 𝑠 → 𝑡
d. ~𝑟
e. ~𝑞 → 𝑢 ∧ 𝑠
f. ∴ 𝑡
11. (*) Construct a component statement 𝑠 from variables p, q and r, which
has the given table as its truth table. Hint: for each row where 𝑠 is true,
construct an expression of 𝑝, 𝑞 and 𝑟 such that the expression gives true
for that row and false for the rest of the rows.
p q r s
T T T F
T T F T
T F T F
T F F T
F T T F
F T F F
F F T F
F F F F
Note: questions with (*) are challenging questions compared with the rest of the exercise.
Supplementary Reading and Exercises: Chapters 2.1-2.4, Discrete
Mathematics with Applications, 5th Edition, By Susanna S Epp.