Department of Mathematics, University of Namibia, Windhoek

MAT 3661 Sets and Logic Tutorial 1 18 February 2019

logical thinking

Question 1
Determine whether each of the following sentences is a proposition or not. If it is a proposition,
state whether it is true or false.

a) Sets and Numbers is a second year Mathematics module.

b) If x is a real number, then x ≤ 10.

c) 19 − 1 = 20 and 42 = 16.

d) 5 = 12 or − 12 > −1.

e) x − 2y = z.

Question 2
When can we say that the given statement is false? (i.e under what condition would the given
statement be false?)

a) Some students do not attend lectures.

b) Every student in the Sets and Numbers class has a black pen.

c) Every set has a proper subset.

d) There are foreign-trained doctors who passed the Medical Council Examination.

e) There is no natural number n such that n < 0.

Question 3
Form a negation of each of the following statements. (write it in its simplest form)

a) All Sets and Numbers students attend lectures.

b) Sets and Numbers is a prerequisite for Real Analysis.

c) (i) ¬(¬P ) (ii) ¬(¬(¬P )) (iii) ¬(¬(¬(¬P ))) (iv) ¬(¬(¬(¬(¬P ))))

d) Some people are naughty.

Question 4
Set up a Truth-Table for each proposition below.

a) P ∨ (¬P ) b) Q ∨ (¬P ) c) P ∧ Q
d) P ∧ (¬Q) e) P ∧ (¬P ) f ) ¬(P ∧ (¬Q))

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 Question 5 (some “hidden” logical connectives)

a) Rewrite the statement “2 ≤ 8” as a disjunction so that the hidden connective comes out.

b) Is it true that −7 ≤ 0? Give a reason for your answer.

Also, write down the negation of −7 ≤ 0 and determine the truth-value of the negation.

c) Rewrite the statement “ − 3 < 1 ≤ 3” as a conjunction (to bring out the hidden connective).

d) Find the negation of the statement “7 < 8 < 9”.

Question 6
The English word “or” is used in two senses. Sometimes “or” means “exactly one of two alterna-
tives”, and sometimes “at least one of two alternatives”. In logic we use the second meaning for
disjunction and the truth table for P ∨ Q is given in a definition in your notes. Use the symbols
P, Q, ¬, ∧, ∨ to express “or” in the sense of “exactly one of two alternatives”. There are a number
of ways of doing this. Find two ways and compare the Truth-Tables of each to check that they
are “the same”. Why is the last phrase in inverted commas?

Question 7
Use Truth-Tables to determine when the given proposition is true. Give your answer in terms
of combinations of truth-values for P and Q.

a) ¬Q ∧ (¬P ∨ Q)

b) (P ∧ (¬Q ∧ (¬P ∨ Q))) ∧ (¬(P ∧ Q))

c) ¬(P ∧ Q) ∧ (P ∧ (¬Q ∧ (¬P ∧ Q)))

Question 8

a) Consider the statement: (Q ∨ (¬P )) ∧ ((¬Q) ∨ P ).

(i) When is it true? (give your answer in terms of combinations of truth values for P and
Q)
(ii) When is it false? (same way)

b) When is the statement “(P ∨ (¬Q)) ∨ ((¬P ) ∨ Q)” true?

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“O Logic: born gatekeeper to the Temple of Science, victim of capricious destiny:

doomed hitherto to be the drudge of pedants: come to the aid of thy master, Legis-
lation. ”– Bentham, Jeremy (1748-1832)

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