Handout 2

Natural Deduction Rules for Propositional Logic

EECS 203, Fall 2019

The 12 introduction and elimination rules for propositional logic are:

p q p∧q p∧q
(∧-intro) (∧-elim)
p∧q p q

p q
.. ..
. .
p q p∨q r r
(∨-intro) (∨-elim)
p∨q p∨q r

p
..
.
q p p→q
(→-intro) (→-elim)
p→q q

p q
.. ..
. .
q p p p↔q q p↔q
(↔-intro) (↔-elim)
p↔q q p

p
..
.
F p ¬p
(¬-intro) (¬-elim)
¬p F

¬¬p
(¬¬-elim)
p

F
(F-elim)
p
 Some of these rules are the same rules as those in the textbook, but just have
different names.

∧-intro = Conjunction
∧-elim = Simplification
∨-intro = Addition
∨-elim = Proof by Cases
→-elim = Modus Ponens

In addition, there are a number of rules that can be derived from the rules above.
We use the following abbreviations.

PBC = Proof by Contradiction

MT = Modus Tolens
LEM = Law of the Excluded Middle
HS = Hypothetical Syllogism
DS = Disjunctive Syllogism
Res = Resolution
¬p
..
.
p F
(¬¬-intro) (PBC)
¬¬p p

¬q p→q
(MT) (LEM)
¬p p ∨ ¬p

p→q q→r ¬p p ∨ q ¬q p∨q

(HS) (DS)
p→r q p

p ∨ q ¬p ∨ r
(Res)
q∨r