Gerna, Noche

Recall:

Truth table- a tool that helps you

analyze statements or arguments in
order to verify whether or not they
are logical, or true.

Proof- an argument from assumptions to conclusions. (Each step follows the laws of logic)

RULES OF INFERENCE

-most of the rules of inference will come from tautologies. (Tautology- statement which is always true)
Note: In the rules of inference, its understood that symbols like P and Q may be replaced by any
statements, including compound statements.

OR (disjunction)
p

T
T

T
F

T
T

F
F

T
F

T
F

NOT (negation)
p

Conclusion- statement you need to prove

> The idea is to operate on the premises using the rules of inference until you arrive at the conclusion

AND (conjunction)
p

Premise- statements youre allowed to assume

Rule of premises you may write down a premise at any point in the proof
Modus ponens- if you know P Q and P, you may write down Q
Double Negation- you may substitute P for
P
Modus tollens- if you know P Q and Q, you may write down P
Disjunctive syllogism- if you know P and P Q, you may write down Q.
De Morgans Thm- you may substitute ~( P Q) with ~P ~Q, ~( P Q) with ~P ~Q
Conjunction- if you know P and Q, you may write down P Q
Hypothetical syllogism- if you know P Q and Q R, then you may write down P R
Simplification- If you know P Q, you may write down P and you may write down Q.
o NOTE: you cannot decompose a disjunction!!!
Addition -I f you know P, and Q is any statement, you may write down P Q
Commutativity of conjunctions- in any statement, you may substitute P Q for Q P (and
write down the new statement)
Commutativity of disjunctions- in any statement, you may substitute P Q for Q P (and
write down the new statement)

Rules of inference

IF-THEN (conditional)
p

IF AND ONLY IF
(biconditional)
p

Modus ponens (MP)

[( p

q) ^ p]

Modus tollens (MT)

[( p

q) ^ ~q]

Disjunctive syllogism

[(p v q) ^ ~p]

simplification

(p ^ q)

conjunction

[(p) ^ (q)]

Hypothetical syllogism

[(p q) ^ (q
(p r)

addition

(p)

De Morgans Thm

~(p ^ q)

q
~p
q

p (or q)
(p ^q)
r)]

(p v q)
(~p v ~q)

Constructive
dilemma

[(p

q) ^ (r
(q v s)

s) ^ (p v r)]

Double negation

~~p

commutation

(p ^ q)
(p v q)

association

[p ^ (q ^ r)]
[p v (q v r)]

[(p ^ q)^ r]
[(p v q)v r]

distribution

[p ^(q v r)]
[p v (q^ r)]

[(p ^ q) v (p ^ r)]
[(p V q) ^ (p v r)]

transposition

(p

q)

(~q

implication

(p

q)

(~p v q)

De Morgans Thm

~(p v q)

(~p ^ ~q)

(q ^ p)
(q v p)

~p)