Tutorial

February 17, 2023

1 Predicates
A predicate refers to the part of a sentence that attributes a property to the
subject.

1.1 Examples
1. The United States of America is a powerful country. The United States
of America” is the subject, and the part of the sentence from which
the subject has been removed (i.e., “is a powerful country”) is the
predicate.
2. x represents the world population. x is the subject and ”represents
the world population” is the predicate

Note:A predicate that involves just one variable may be denoted by P (x).
The statement P (x) is said to be the value of the propositional function P
at x

1.2 Questions
Discuss the following statements in the context of predicate logic.

1. The statement x > 2, for x = 0 and x = 7.2, where the domain for the
variable consists of all real numbers.

2. The statement x2 + y 2 = z 2 , for x = 3, y = 4, and z = 5 and for x = 5,

y = 6, and z = 7, where the domain for each of the three variables consists
of all positive integers.

2 Quantification
Quantification is a way to express the extent to which a predicate is true over
a range of elements.

1
2.1 Universal quantification
Universal quantification asserts that a predicate is true for all values of a variable
in a given domain. Because the domain specifies the possible values of a variable.
The symbol ∀ is called the universal quantifier and read as “for all” or
“for every.”

2.2 Existential quantification

The existential quantification of P (x), which is the statement P (x) for at least
one value of x in the domain, is denoted by ∃xP (x). The symbol d is called the
existential quantifier and read as “for some,” “there exists a,” or “for at least
one.”

2.3 Nested Quantifiers

Nested quantifiers are defined where one quantifier is within the scope of an-
other.

2.4 Questions
Question 1 √
Determine the truth values of the universal statement ∀x(x ≥ x)for the
following domains.
1. All positive integers less than or equal to 3.

2. All positive real numbers less than or equal to 3.

Question 2 √
Determine the truth values of the existential statement ∃x(x < x) for the
following domains.

1. All positive integers less than or equal to 3.

2. All positive real numbers less than or equal to 3.

Question 3
Determine the truth value of each of the following statements if the domain
of each variable consists of all real numbers.

1. ∀x1 ∃x2 ((x1 + x2 = 2) ∧ (2x1 − x2 = 1))

2. ∀x1 ∀x2 ∃x3 (x3 = 0.5(x1 + x2 ))