Discrete Mathematics

Nested Quantifiers
Lecture #05
Nested Quantifiers
Nested quantifiers are quantifiers that occur within
the scope of other quantifiers.
e.g.∀x∃y(x + y = 0).
“The sum of two positive integers is always positive.”
 “Everyone has exactly one best friend”
Nested Quantifiers
Assume that the domain for the variables x and y
consists of all real numbers.
The statement ∀x∀y(x + y = y + x) says that x + y = y + x
for all real numbers x and y.
This is the commutative law for addition of real
numbers.
Likewise, the statement ∀x∃y(x + y = 0) says that for
every real number x there is a real number y such that
x + y = 0.
Nested Quantifiers
Translate into English the statement∀x∀y((x > 0) ∧ (y
< 0) → (xy < 0)), where the domain for both variables
consists of all real numbers.
Solution: This statement says that for every real
number x and for every real number y, if x > 0 and y <
0, then xy < 0.
“The product of a positive real number and a negative
real number is always a negative real number.”
The Order of Quantifiers
 It is important to note that the order of the quantifiers is
important, unless all the quantifiers are universal quantifiers or
all are existential quantifiers.
 Problem: Let P (x, y) be the statement “x + y = y + x.” What are
the truth values of the quantifications ∀x∀yP (x, y) and ∀y∀xP (x,
y) where the domain for all variables consists of all real numbers?
 Solution: The quantification∀x∀yP (x, y)denotes the proposition
“For all real numbers x, for all real numbers y, x + y = y + x.”
Because P (x, y) is true for all real numbers x and y (it is the
commutative law for addition, which is an axiom for the real
numbers.
 ∀x∀yP (x, y) and ∀y∀xP (x, y) have the same meaning, and both
are true.
The Order of Quantifiers
Let Q(x, y) denote “x + y = 0.” What are the truth values of
the quantifications ∃y∀xQ(x, y)and ∀x∃yQ(x, y), where the
domain for all variables consists of all real numbers?
Solution: The quantification ∃y∀xQ(x, y)denotes the
proposition “There is a real number y such that for every
real number x, Q(x, y).” (False)
The quantification ∀x∃yQ(x, y)denotes the proposition
“For every real number x there is a real number y such that
Q(x, y).” (True)
The Order of Quantifiers
Let Q(x, y, z) be the statement “x + y = z.” What are the truth
values of the statements∀x∀y∃zQ(x, y, z) and ∃z∀x∀yQ(x, y,
z), where the domain of all variables consists of all real
numbers?
Solution: Suppose that x and y are assigned values. Then,
there exists a real number z such that x + y = z.
Consequently, the quantification ∀x∀y∃zQ(x, y, z),which is
the statement “For all real numbers x and for all real numbers
y there is a real number z such that x + y = z. is true.
The quantification ∃z∀x∀yQ(x, y, z),which is the
statement“There is a real number z such that for all real
numbers x and for all real numbers y it is true that x + y = z,” is
false.
The Order of Quantifiers
Translate the statement “The sum of two positive
integers is always positive” into a logical expression.
Solution: ∀x∀y((x > 0) ∧ (y > 0) → (x + y > 0)), where
the domain for both variables consists of all integers.
“The sum of two positive integers is always positive”
becomes “For every two positive integers, the sum of
these integers is positive.
We can express this as ∀x∀y(x + y > 0), where the
domain for both variables consists of all positive
integers.
The Order of Quantifiers
Translate the statement “Every real number except
zero has a multiplicative inverse.” (A multiplicative
inverse of a real number x is a real number y such that
xy = 1.)
Solution: We first rewrite this as “For every real
number x except zero, x has a multiplicative inverse.”
We can rewrite this as “For every real number x, if x !=
0, then there exists a real number y such that xy = 1.”
This can be rewritten as ∀x((x != 0) → ∃y(xy = 1)).
Translating from Nested Quantifiers into English
Translate the statement ∀x(C(x) ∨ ∃y(C(y) ∧ F (x, y)))
into English, where C(x) is “x has a computer,” F (x, y)
is “x and y are friends,” and the domain for both x and y
consists of all students in your school.
Solution: The statement says that for every student x
in your school, x has a computer or there is a student y
such that y has a computer and x and y are friends.
In other words, every student in your school has a
computer or has a friend who has a computer.
Translating from Nested Quantifiers into English
Translate the statement
∃x∀y∀z((F (x, y) ∧ F (x, z) ∧ (y != z)) → ¬F (y,z))
into English, where F (a,b) means a and b are friends and the
domain for x, y, and z consists of all students in your school.
Solution: We first examine the expression (F (x, y) ∧ F (x,
z) ∧ (y != z)) → ¬F (y, z). This expression says that if
students x and y are friends, and students x and z are
friends, and furthermore, if y and z are not the same
student, then y and z are not friends.
In other words, there is a student none of whose friends are
also friends with each other.
Translating English Sentences into Logical Expressions
Express the statement “If a person is female and is a
parent, then this person is someone’s mother” as a logical
expression involving predicates, quantifiers with a domain
consisting of all people, and logical connectives.
Solution: The statement “If a person is female and is a
parent, then this person is someone’s mother” can be
expressed as “For every person x, if person x is female and
person x is a parent, then there exists a person y such that
person x is the mother of person y.”
∀x((F (x) ∧ P (x)) → ∃yM(x, y))
∀x∃y((F (x) ∧ P (x)) → M(x, y))
Negating Nested Quantifiers
Express the negation of the statement ∀x∃y(xy = 1) so
that no negation precedes a quantifier.
¬∀x∃y(xy = 1) is equivalent to ∃x∀y¬(xy = 1).
our negated statement can be expressed as ∃x ∀y(xy !=
1).