Tuesday, 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Learning Task for Lesson No.4.1

1. Determine which of the given sentences is a proposition. For each
proposition, determine its truth value.
a. 0 divided by 0 is 1. = Proposition, False
b. Are we there yet? = Not proposition
c. Turn off the light when no one is using it. = Not proposition
d. There are three primary colors. = Proposition, True

2. Determine the truth value of the following propositions and provide reasons
for your answer.
1
a. ∀x in the set of real numbers, is a real number.
x
1
- False, since 0 is also a real number and when x = 0 in , it is math error.
X
b. Ǝx in the set of integers for which 2 x−3=−3.
- True, since there exists an integer 0 for 2(0) – 3 to be equal to -3.

3. Construct a truth table of the following propositions and determine whether it

is a tautlogy, a contradiction, or neither.
a. ( p →q ) V ( q → p )

p q p →q q→ p ( p →q ) V ( q → p )
T T T T T
T F F T T
F T T F T
F F T T T

The truth values in the last column are all true; this shows that ( p →q ) V ( q → p ) is
a tautology.
a. ( p Λ p ) Λ q
p q p pΛ p ( p Λ p) Λq
T T F F F
T F F F F
F T T F F
F F T T T
The truth values in the last column are not all true; this shows that
( p →q ) V ( q → p ) is neither a tautology or contradiction.
4. Show that p →q ≡ q → p .
p q q p p →q q→ p
T T F F T T
T F T F F F
F T F T T T
F F T T T T
It can be seen that the fifth and sixth columns have identical truth values. Hence,
p →q ≡ q → p .

5. Determine the validity of the following argument:

If two sides of a triangle are equal, then the angles opposite to these sides are
equal.
Two sides of a triangle are not equal.
Therefore, the angles opposite to these sides are not equal.
Answer: If we let p to denote “two sides pf triangle are equal” and q be “the angles
opposite to these sides are equal”. Then the given argument can be symbolically as.
p →q
p
∴ q

The Law of Detachment does not apply to this argument. We will use the truth
table to verify the validity of this argument. That is, to show that
[( p → q) Λ p]→ q.
p q p →q p ( p → q) Λ p q [( p → q) Λ p] → q
T T T F F F T
T F F F T T T
F T T T T F F
F F T T T T T
Clearly, [( p → q) Λ p]→ q is not a tautology. Thus, the given argument is a
fallacy.