Lesson 2: Truth Table

At the end of the session you will be able to:

1) set up a truth table;

2) determine logical equivalence;
3)determine truth values of statements.
Rule for Negation

P → T or F
Q → T or F
# of combi 2^n

p ～p

T F
F T

Rule for Conjunction

The conjunction of two statements is true only if each statement is true.

p q p∧q
T T T

T F F
F T F
F F F

Rule for Disjunction

The disjunction of two statements is false only if each statement is false.
p q p∨q

T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F
Rule for Conditional statements

A true statement can not imply a false statement.

p q p ➜q

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

Rule for Biconditional statements

If p and q have the same truth value then the biconditional statement is true.

p q p⟷q

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

Examples:

#1. Construct the truth table for ～ (p ∧ ～q)

p q ～q p ∧ ～q ～(p ∧ ～q)

T T F F T
T F T T F
F T F F T
F F T F T
#2 Determine the truth value of the following:

p: 3 + 2 = 7 F q:4+4=8 T r: 5 < 2 F

a) p and q
b) If p then q
c) p iff q
d) ～p or q
e) If p and q then ～r F^T→T
f) r or q
Answers:
a) False
b) True
c) False
d) True
e) True
f) True

Statements that are always True is a tautology. Statements that are always false is called
a contradiction.

Example: A circle is a square.

Note this statement is always false hence a contradiction.

Example: The sun is hot.

The statement is always true hence a tautology.

Two propositions are said to be logically equivalent if their truth values are identical.

Example: Show whether p ➜ ～q is logically equivalent to q ➜ ～p, that is

p ➜ ～q q ➜ ～p

p q ～q p ➜ ～q

T T F F

T F T T

F T F T

F F T T
 p q ～p q ➜ ～p

T T F F

T F F T

F T T T

F F T T

It can be seen that both statements have the same truth values in the last columns of their
truth table hence they are logically equivalent.

Laws of the Algebra of Propositions

Idempotent Laws: a) p ∨ p = p b) p ∧ p = p
Associative Laws: a) (p ∨ q) ∨ r = p ∨ (q ∨ r ) b) (p ∧ q) ∧ r = p ∧ (q ∧ r )
Commutative Laws: a) p ∨ q = q ∨ p b) p ∧ q = q ∧ p
Distributive Laws: a) p ∨ ( q ∧ r) = (p ∨ q) ∧ ( p ∨ r)
b) p ∧ ( q ∨ r) = (p ∧ q) ∨ ( p ∧ r)
Identity Laws: a) p ∨ F = p b) p ∧ T = P
a) p ∨ T = T b) p ∧ F = F
Complement Laws: a) p ∨ ～p = T b) p ∧ ～p = F
a) ～～p = p b) ～T = F , ～F = T
DeMorgan’s Laws: a) ～(p ∨ q) = ～p ∧ ～q b) ～(p ∧ q) = ～p ∨ ～q