NPTEL Course on Discrete Mathematics

Lecture 5 : Resolution

Dr. Ashish Choudhury

IIIT Bangalore
 Lecture Overview
 Resolution as an inference rule
 Proof by resolution-refutation
 Resolution
 A very important inference rule --- used extensively in PROLOG
 Let and be two clauses, where is a literal
 Given and to be true, we can conclude
𝐶 ′1 ∨ 𝐿
 Let be True
𝐶 ′2 ∨¬ 𝐿
 For all other cases, the implication is true
∴ 𝐶′ 1 ∨ 𝐶′ 2  Case I: L is True
 : resolvent of and  has to be True and so is
 Case II: L is False
 is a tautology
 has to be True and so is
 Resolution of a Set of Clauses
 S = {, , …, } : a set of clauses
 Goal : to find resolvent of S
 Build resolution tree
 , , …, at root level
 Each step:
 resolve a pair of existing clauses
 Add the resolvent to the tree
 Stop, when no more resolution possible
 Resolution of a Set of Clauses: An Example
¬𝑝 ∨𝑞
¬𝑟 ∨ 𝑠 ¬𝑝 ∨𝑞 ¬𝑟 ∨ 𝑠 𝑝 𝑟
𝑝 ≡ 𝑝
𝑟 𝑟
𝑞
𝑠

 Resolvent of the set of clauses :

 Resolution of a Set of Clauses : Properties

 Let S = {, , …, }
Resolvent(S) if and only if S is unsatisfiable [i.e ( … ) = False]

 Let S = {, , …, } and be a clause

Resolvent(S) if and only if (S ) is unsatisfiable [(…) = False]
 Proof by Resolution-Refutation
 Let S = {, , …, } and be a clause
Resolvent(S) if and only if (S ) is unsatisfiable [(…) = False]

𝑃1 𝐶1
𝑃2 Equivalent 𝐶2
Resolvent(…,) =
𝑃𝑚 Clausal Form 𝐶𝑛
∴𝑄 ∴𝐶
Goal: to show the Goal: to show the
argument form is valid argument form is valid
 Proof by Resolution-Refutation: An Example
 If today is Friday then I will go to a movie
𝑝 𝑞
 If today is bright then I will go outside
𝑟 𝑠
 Today is Friday 𝑝
𝑝 𝑟
 Today is bright ∴𝑞∨ 𝑠
𝑟
 Hence, I will go to a movie or I will go outside
𝑞 𝑠
 Proof by Resolution-Refutation: An Example
¬𝑝 ∨𝑞
¬𝑟 ∨ 𝑠 ¬𝑝 ∨𝑞 ¬𝑟 ∨ 𝑠 𝑝 𝑟 ¬𝑞 ¬ 𝑠
𝑝 ≡ 𝑝
𝑟 𝑟
∴𝑞∨ 𝑠 ∴𝑞∨ 𝑠 𝑞
Valid argument Valid argument
References for Today’s Lecture