INTRODUCTION TO

DISCRETE STRUCTURE

 PREPARED BY: MARIZ N. AQUINO

WHAT IS DISCRETE MATHEMATICS?
 Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures
that are fundamentally discrete rather than continuous.
 In contrast to real numbers that have the property of varying
"smoothly", the objects studied in discrete mathematics – such
as integers, graphs, and statements in logic– do not vary
smoothly in this way, but have distinct, separated values.
 Discrete Mathematics concerns processes that consist of a
sequence of individual steps.
WHAT IS DISCRETE MATHEMATICS?

Discrete mathematics focuses on problems that are not over a

continuous domain.
For example, is it possible to visit 3 islands in a river with 6
bridges without crossing any bridge more than once? That is a
discrete math problem (because there are a finite (fixed, discrete)
number of bridges).
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS
AND PROPOSITIONS
PROPOSITIONS

 Typically expressed as a declarative sentence that

is either true or false, but not both.
 Represented by lowercase letters such as
p, q and r.
TRUTH VALUES

If a proposition is true, we say that it has a

truth value of “true” denoted by T.

If a proposition is false, we say that it has a

truth value of “false” denoted by F.
 A STATEMENT is a sentence that is either true or false,
in other words it is typically a declarative sentence. The
following sentences are statements:

• Mr. Cruzate is an instructor.

• World War II began in 1939.
• Some cats are dogs.
• Gloria Arroyo was beheaded.
EXAMPLES FOR PROPOSITION/STATEMENT

 Is the following sentence a proposition? If it is a proposition,

determine whether it is true or false
1. Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan.
2. Can Ali come with you?
3. Take two aspirins.
4. x+ 4 > 9.
5. He is a college student.
The following sentences are not statements:

o What is the atomic weight of oxygen? (Q)

o Allyson will you be my girlfriend. (P)
o We suggest that you travel by bus. (S)
o Hey Marlon, wash the dishes. (C)
o Shut up! I hate you! (E)
o ATOMIC PROPOSITION-consisting of only a single propositional
variable or a single propositional constant (True and False).
o COMPOUND PROPOSITION-contain at least one logical connective
(all non atomic).
o TRUTH TABLE- gives the truth-values of the proposition under all
possible assignments.
ACTIVITY 1:

LOGICAL ARGUMENTS AND PROPOSITIONS

Which of the ff statements are propositions?

1.Is it true?
2.Mariz is a name.
3.Stop it!
4.10 is an even number.
5.10 is not an even number.
LOGICAL CONNECTIVES
CONNECTIVES

 Used to combine
propositions
KINDS OF CONNECTIVES

 CONJUCTION – denoted by (read as “p and q”)

 DISJUNCTION – denoted by ( read as “p or q” )
 NEGATION -- denoted by (read as “not p”)
 CONDITIONAL STATEMENT – denoted by p q
(read as If p, then q.)
NEGATION

Let P be a proposition. The compound proposition –P,

pronounced “not P”, is the proposition that is true if P is
false, and that if false otherwise. –P is called the negation
of P. The connective - may be translated into English as “It
is not the case that”, or simply by the word “not”.
Let P stand for the proposition “London is a city”. Then –
P stands for the proposition “It is not the case that
London is a city” or “London is not a city”
CONJUNCTION (^)
 Rule
 Let P and Q be two propositions. Then P^Q is true if
and only if both P and Q are true. P^Q is called the
conjunction of P and Q, and the connective ^ is
pronounced “and”. The connective ^ may be translated
into English by the word “and”.
DISJUNCTION ( V)
Rule:
 Let P and Q be two propositions. Then PvQ is false only if both
P and Q are false. If either P or Q or both are true, then PvQ is
true, it is called the disjunction of P and Q, and the connective
v is pronounced “or”. The connective v may be translated into
English by the word “or”.
CONDITIONAL (=>)

Rule
 Let P and Q be two propositions. Then P=>Q is false if P is true
and Q is false, and P=>Q is true otherwise. P=>Q is called the
conditional of P and Q. “If P, then Q”, in other words, P=>Q
means that whenever P is correct, so is Q. The statement P is
called the antecedent and Q the consequent.
BICONDITIONAL 
Rule
 Let P and Q be two propositions. Then P<=>Q is true
whenever P and Q have the same truth-values. P<=>Q is
called the biconditional or equivalence and it is
pronounced “P if and only if Q” or “P iff Q” as an
abbreviation.
TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO SYMBOLS
TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO SYMBOLS
ACTIVITY 2:
LOGICAL CONNECTIVES
Using the statements M for “Mariz is rich” and C for “Mariz is happy”,
respectively, write the ff statements in symbolic form:

(a) Mariz is not rich.

(b) Mariz is rich and happy.
(c) Mariz is rich or happy.
(d) If Mariz is rich, then he is happy.
(e) Mariz is happy only if he is rich.