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Please help me with this question.

Please help me with this question.-example-1
User Walt Reed
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Answer:

See below for truth tables and proofs

Explanation:

Let's understand what a tautology is and what a contradiction is

statement which is always true is called a tautology. A statement which
is always false is called a contradiction.

A proposition p q has a hypothesis p and a conclusion q

p ⇒ q is False

a) p q is False if p is True and q is False. It is True for all other values of p and q

The truth table for p ⇒ q therefore is::


p q (p q)

F F T

F T T

T F F

T T T

We have to prove that p AND q ⇒ p is a tautology for all p, q i.e. it is True no matter what the values of p and q are

p AND q p can be re-written as (p AND q) ⇒ p since the AND operator has precedence over the implies operator

Here is the truth table for (p q) ⇒ p.
(∧ is the symbol for logical AND)

Here the hypothesis is (p ∧ q) and the conclusion is p.


It is False if and only if the hypothesis (p ∧ q) is T and p is False. That combination never occurs in the truth table

p q p ∧ q (p ∧ q) ⇒ p
------------------------------------------------------
T T T T

T F F T

F T F T

F F F T

Since the expression (p ∧ q) ⇒ p is True for all values of p and q it is a tautology

b)

Truth Table for (p ∨ ¬p) where ¬p represents not p or p'

p ¬p (p ∧ ¬p)
---------------------------
F T F

T F F

Since the expression is False for any p value, it is a contradiction

User Davinder Singh
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