Negate Uniqueness: Check Correctness

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff Ford
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Uniqueness
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the logical negation of the statement (\exists! x \in S) P(x), which asserts the existence and uniqueness of an element x in set S satisfying property P. The correct negation is derived as \sim (\exists! x \in S) P(x) \Longleftrightarrow \{(\forall x \in S) \sim P(x)\} \wedge \{\exists x,y \in S) \sim [P(x) \wedge P(y) \longrightarrow x = y \}. The participants clarify the distinction between existence and uniqueness, leading to the conclusion that the negation can be expressed as (\neg[(\exists x \in S)(Px)]) \vee (\neg[(\forall x, y \in S)((Px \wedge Py) \rightarrow (x = y))]).

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of predicate logic and quantifiers
  • Familiarity with logical operators such as negation, conjunction, and disjunction
  • Knowledge of set theory and its notation
  • Ability to manipulate logical statements and their negations
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of predicate logic and quantifiers in depth
  • Learn about logical equivalences and how to apply them in proofs
  • Explore advanced topics in set theory, including functions and relations
  • Review resources on logical operations and their applications in mathematical reasoning
USEFUL FOR

Students of mathematics, particularly those studying logic, set theory, and mathematical proofs, as well as educators looking to enhance their understanding of logical negation and quantifiers.

Jeff Ford
Messages
154
Reaction score
2
I think I've got this one, I'd just like someone to check my work
Negate the statement [tex](\exists! x \in S) P(x)[/tex]

Since [tex](\exists ! x \in S) P(x) \Longleftrightarrow \{(\exists x \in S) (P(x) \} \wedge \{(\forall x,y \in S) [P(x) \wedge P(y) \longrightarrow x = y \}[/tex]

The negation would be [tex]\sim (\exists ! x \in S) P(x) \Longleftrightarrow \{(\forall x \in S) \sim P(x)\} \wedge \{\exists x,y \in S) \sim [P(x) \wedge P(y) \longrightarrow x = y \}[/tex]

Does this look correct?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Jeff Ford said:
I think I've got this one, I'd just like someone to check my work
Negate the statement [tex](\exists! x \in S) P(x)[/tex]
Since [tex](\exists ! x \in S) P(x) \Longleftrightarrow \{(\exists x \in S) (P(x) \} \wedge \{(\forall x,y \in S) [P(x) \wedge P(y) \longrightarrow x = y \}[/tex]
The negation would be [tex]\sim (\exists ! x \in S) P(x) \Longleftrightarrow \{(\forall x \in S) \sim P(x)\} \wedge \{\exists x,y \in S) \sim [P(x) \wedge P(y) \longrightarrow x = y \}[/tex]
Does this look correct?
Flip something upside down.
[tex]\neg(P \wedge Q) \Leftrightarrow (\neg P \vee \neg Q)[/tex]
 
Sorry, my comment may not have been clear, and I read that you're teaching yourself (:cool:), so I'll try to explain just to be safe. (I use grouping symbols a bit differently; I think it makes more sense this way.)

[tex](\exists ! x \in S)(Px)[/tex]

has two parts, existence and uniqueness.

[tex]\mbox{Existence: } (\exists x \in S)(Px)[/tex]
[tex]\mbox{Uniqueness: } (\forall x, y \in S)((Px \wedge Py) \rightarrow (x = y))[/tex]

Call the existence statement E and the uniqueness statement U. The right-hand side of your definition of [itex](\exists ! x \in S)(Px)[/itex] can then be stated as

[tex](E \wedge U)[/tex]

And its negation is

[tex](\neg[E \wedge U]) \Leftrightarrow (\neg E \vee \neg U)[/tex]

So just plug back in the definitions of E and U to get the right-hand side of [itex]\neg[(\exists ! x \in S)(Px)][/itex].

[tex](\neg[(\exists x \in S)(Px)]) \ \vee \ (\neg[(\forall x, y \in S)((Px \wedge Py) \rightarrow (x = y))])[/tex]

which you can further simplify by "distributing" the negations. Here are some handy http://people.cornell.edu/pages/ps92/414/LogicalOpLogicQuantifiers.pdf (PDF); see page 4 for a shorter way to write a statement of unique existence.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
20
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
7K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K