Is my Predicate Logic Solution Correct?

In summary, the conversation discusses different versions of a logical expression that is supposed to be equivalent to the original English sentence "No American who hasn't met any Canadian's knows Canada." While the answer given by the teacher is not logically equivalent, the correct answer must include the statements "For any x, if x is Canadian, then x does not know Canada." Both versions provided by the individual in the conversation are also not logically equivalent to the correct answer.
  • #1
robert
23
0
I have the sentence: No American who hasn't met any Canadian's knows Canada. The teacher gave the correct answer as being:

Vx-Ex((Ax ^ Cy ^ Mxy) -> -Kxc)

Would this version also work?:

-ExEy(Ax ^ Kxc ^ Cy ^ Mxy)

or is it supposed to be:

-ExEy(Ax ^ Kxc ^ Cy ^ -Mxy)

After thinking about it, I think it may be the second. Which means I got it wrong on the assignment.
 
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  • #2
A correct answer must be logically equivalent to:

[tex]\neg (\exists x)(Ax\ \wedge \ (\forall y)(Cy\ \rightarrow \ \neg Mxy)\ \wedge \ Kxc)[/tex]

The answer you said your teacher gave is:

[tex](\forall x)\neg (\exists y)[(Ax \wedge Cy \wedge Mxy) \rightarrow \neg Kxc][/tex]

which is logically equivalent to:

[tex](\forall x)(\forall y)(Ax \wedge Cy \wedge Mxy \wedge Kxc)[/tex]

which says: "Everybody is American, everybody is Canadian, everybody has met everyone, and everyone knows Canada" which is obviously not what the original English sentence says. Anyways, neither of your answers are logically equivalent to the answer your teacher supposedly gave, nor the answer I gave at the start of this post.
 
  • #3
Let U = the set of all Americans (presumably U.S. citizens).
Let M(x) denote: x has never met a Canadian.
Let K(x) denote: x does not know Canada.

For any x [C(x)) -> K(x)] <=>
There does not exit an x [C(x) and ~K(x)]
 
  • #4
Correction: Post #3 should read, C(x) instead of C(x)).
 

1. What is Predicate Logic?

Predicate Logic is a type of mathematical logic that deals with the relationships between different objects, events, or concepts. It is used to represent statements or propositions in a formal and precise manner, and is commonly used in computer science, linguistics, and philosophy.

2. How is Predicate Logic different from Propositional Logic?

While propositional logic deals with simple relationships between propositions using logical operators such as AND, OR, and NOT, predicate logic allows for more complex relationships between objects or concepts. It includes the use of quantifiers, such as "for all" and "there exists", to express universal or existential statements.

3. What are the main components of a Predicate Logic statement?

A Predicate Logic statement consists of a subject, a predicate, and objects. The subject is what the statement refers to, the predicate is the property or relationship being asserted, and the objects are the entities that are being described in the statement.

4. How is Predicate Logic used in computer programming?

Predicate Logic is used in computer programming to represent and manipulate data and relationships between different objects. It is commonly used in artificial intelligence and databases, as well as in programming languages such as Prolog.

5. What are some common applications of Predicate Logic?

Predicate Logic has various applications in different fields such as mathematics, computer science, linguistics, and philosophy. It is used in automated reasoning, natural language processing, and knowledge representation. It also serves as the foundation for many formal methods in computer science and is used to analyze and prove the correctness of computer programs.

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