BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

MMW 101
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Module 8
Truth Tables
“Achieving Universal Understanding and
Peace Through the Language of
Mathematics”
 Truth Values and Truth Tables

First, let us define truth value and truth table.

The truth value

• of a simple statement is either true (T) or false (F)
• of a compound statement depends on the truth values of its simple
statements and its connectives.

A truth table is a table that shows the truth value of a compound statement for
all possible truth values of its simple statements.

Note: 1. The Truth Table of one simple statement consists of two rows
showing the truth values of the given statement.

Truth
Table
(Assertion)
p
T
F

Note: 2. The Truth Table of a compound statement containing two simple

statements starts with two columns of four rows showing the truth
values of every possible combination of the two given statements. The
third column shows the truth values of the given compound statement
and their connectives in all possible cases. This table is the so-called
standard truth table form.

Truth Table
Truth Value of the
p q
compound statement
T T
T F
F T
F F

The following show the Truth Tables for Propositional Logic.

Truth Tables for Propositional Logic:

Negation:
Truth Table If a statement is true, its negation is
p ~p false.
T F If a statement is false, its negation is
F T true.
1
 Conjunction:
Truth Table
p q p∧q
T T T The conjunction p ∧ q is TRUE when
T F F both p and q are true.
F T F
F F F

Disjunction:
Truth Table
p q p∨q
The disjunction p ∨ q is TRUE if at
T T T
least one of them (either p or q) is
T F T
true.
F T T
F F F

Conditional:
Truth Table
p q p→q
The conditional p → q is FALSE
T T T
when p is true, and q is false. It is
T F F
true in all other cases.
F T T
F F T

Biconditional:
Truth Table
p q p↔q
The biconditional p ↔ q is TRUE
T T T
when p and q have the same truth
T F F
value.
F T F
F F T

Let us determine the truth values of the following compound statement.

1. Five is an even integer and four is an odd number.

F ∧ F F∧F
F F

2. Sampaguita is our national flower or Narra is a vegetable.

T ∨ F
T∨F
T
T
3. If California is a continent, then the Philippines is a province.
F → F
F→F
T
T
2
 4. Five is a factor of 10 if and only if 10 is a multiple of 100.
T ↔ F
F T↔ F
F

Try this!

Given the following propositions with their corresponding truth values, what is
the truth value of the statement "Archie has a fever and he has difficulty in breathing,
but he is infected with COVID 19".

p: Archie has a fever. (T)

q: Archie has difficulty in breathing. (F)
r: Archie is not infected with COVID 19. (T)

Constructing Truth Tables

Now let us try to construct a truth table. Follow the steps, as shown in the
examples that follow.

Examples:
1. Construct the truth table for the compound statement (p ∨ q) ∧ ~ p.

Solution:
Step 1: Start with the standard truth table form.
Step 2: Write the truth values of the disjunction p ∨ q on a new column.
Step 3: Negate p, then write the results on the next column.
Step 4: Using the truth values of p ∨ q (in step 2) and ~p (in step 3), perform
the conjunction of (p ∨ q) ∧~p to produce the truth values. Write the
results in the last column.

p q p∨q ~p (p ∨ q) ∧~p
T T T F F
T F T F F
F T T T T
F F F T F

2. Construct the truth table for the compound statement (p → q) ↔ (~q ∨~p).

Solution:
Step 1: Start with the standard truth table form.
Step 2: Negate p and then write the results on a new column.
Step 3: Negate q and then write the truth values in the next column.
Step 4: Write the truth values of the conditional p → q on another column.
Step 5: Using the truth values from negated p (in step 2) and negated q
(in step 3), determine the truth values of ~q ∨~p.
3
 Step 6: Using the truth values of p → q (in step 4) and ~q ∨~p (in step 5),
perform the biconditional of (p ∨ q) ∧~p to produce the truth values.
Write the results in the last column.

p q ~p ~q p→q ~q ∨~p (p → q) ↔ (~q ∨~p)

T T F F T F F
T F F T F T F
F T T F T T T
F F T T T T T

Try this!

Construct a truth table for the proposition (p → ~q) ↔ (~p ∨ q).

Tautology, Contradiction, and Contingency

A tautology is a proposition where the truth values are always true in all
possible cases.

A contradiction is a proposition where the truth values are always false in all
possible cases.

A contingency is a proposition where the truth values are not always true nor
always false.

Examples:
1. Show that ~p ∨ (~q →p) is a tautology.
Solution:
Step 1: Start with the standard truth table form.
Step 2: Negate p and then write the results on a new column.
Step 3: Negate q and then write the truth values on another column.
Step 4: Using the truth values from negated q (in step 3) and p (in step 1),
determine the truth values of ~q →p.
Step 5: Using the truth values of negated p (in step 2) and ~q →p (in step 4),
perform the conjunction of ~p ∨ (~q →p) to produce their truth values.
Write the results in the last column.

p q ~p ~q ~q →p ~p ∨ (~q →p)
T T F F T T
T F F T T T
F T T F T T
F F T T F T

It shows that the truth values of ~p ∨ (~q →p) are always true.
Thus, ~p ∨ (~q →p) is a tautology.
4
 Is the proposition p ∧ (p→ ~p) a tautology, a contradiction, or a contingency?
Look at the table below.

p ~p p → ~p p ∧ (p → ~p)
T F F F
F T T F

Since the truth values of p ∧ (p → ~p) are always false, then it is a

contradiction.

2. Is (p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q) a tautology, a contradiction, or a contingency?

p q ~q p ∧~q p∨q (p ∧~q) ∧( p ∨ q)

T T F F T F
T F T T T T
F T F F T F
F F T F F F

Since the truth values of (p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q) are not always true nor always false, then
(p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q) is a contingency.

Try this!

Tell whether the proposition (q ∨ ~p) →p is a tautology, a contradiction, or a

contingency.