Can Symbolic Logic Rules of Inference and Replacement Solve These Problems?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around solving homework problems related to symbolic logic, specifically using rules of inference and replacement to prove valid arguments. The problems presented involve logical statements and require participants to demonstrate their reasoning through formal proofs.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster presents three problems requiring proofs using specific rules of inference and replacement.
  • Some participants seek clarification on the notation used, questioning the structure of premises and conclusions.
  • One participant suggests that the original poster should attempt to write out the proofs themselves to identify where the confusion lies.
  • Another participant provides a detailed breakdown of the reasoning for one of the problems, demonstrating how to approach the proof step-by-step.
  • Several participants offer different strategies for tackling the problems, including working backwards from the conclusion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the solutions to the problems, as participants are providing various approaches and suggestions without a definitive resolution. The discussion remains exploratory, with multiple perspectives on how to tackle the proofs.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the notation and structure of the problems, which may affect their understanding and approach to the proofs. The discussion includes various interpretations of the rules of inference and replacement.

Who May Find This Useful

Students studying symbolic logic, individuals seeking to improve their proof-writing skills, and those interested in the application of logical reasoning in mathematics may find this discussion beneficial.

Penguin_shinobi
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I have a couple of homework problems that I can't get, hopefully one of you enlightened ones can help me.
I have to give proofs of these valid arguments using only the 8 rules of inference (M.P. etc.), and 10 replacement rules(D.N. etc.) :

(1)
1.(A>E)>C
2.C>~C
/A

(2)
1.(A&G)>H
2.A
3.(I>~H)&(A>G)
/G (Triple Bar, Biconditional) H

(3)
1.(A&K)>R
2.K
/A>R

">" is, "if then", "&" is the dot that resembles multiplication, but stands for the word "and". The numbers. "1., 2., 3.", are the premises. "/" is the conclusion
I need help...too math like for me
*symbolic Logic
 
Last edited:
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Welcome to PF.
Can you please explain your notation a little more?
What are the premises? Or is 1. the premise and 2. the conclusion for each part?
What are the letters (are they all formulas? or do some have special meanings?) What do the @ and / stand for?
 
I edited my first post to be more accurate
 
Maybe it helps if you first write out the proofs for yourself. For example, in number three:
1.(A&K)>R
2.K
/A>R

Need to prove A -> R. So you must suppose A and show R or suppose not R and show not A (and then use some rule to flip them around). The latter is more complicated, so let's try the first one. You want to prove R and you in fact have a premise that has R as its conclusion, #1. The condition of this premise is (A&R). By assumption you already have A, so you still need to show that K. But this is just assumption 2.

Now try to do the same for #1 and #2, and post it here so we can check if the problem is there or just in formally writing it down.

Now, let me inverse the argument to a logical order:
Suppose that A holds. By #2, K holds. So A and K hold, therefore R holds by #1. So assuming A, we proved R; therefore we can prove (without assumptions) that A implies R.

Now again, try to convert the reasoning to such a format for 1) and 2) yourself.

Finally, write this down in the correct formal way. You've basically done all the work already, just have to think which inference rules you need from one step to the next:
1. A (assumption)
2. (A&K) > R (premise 1)
3. K (premise 2)
4. A & K (&I 1, 3)
5. R (>E 2, 4)
6. A > R (>I 1, 5)
where the last line invalidates (marks, daggers, deactivates, whatever you want to call it) the assumption on line 1.

Finally, try to do this for 1) and 2) with the results you got above.

Please post as much as you can do, so we can try to pinpoint where the problem is in your case.
 
Last edited:
To solve these problems, I would recommend you to look at the conclusion first and work backwards from there.

(1)
1. (A > E) > C ____________Premise / Conclusion: A
2. C > ~C ____________Premise
3. ~C v ~C ____________CE 2
4. ~C ____________DUP 2
5. ~(A > E) ____________MT 1
6. ~(~A v E) ____________CE 5
7. A & ~E ____________DeM 6
8. A ____________Simp 7

(2)
1. (A & G) > H ____________Premise / Conclusion: G=H
2. A ____________Premise
3. (I > ~H) & (A > G) ____________Premise
4. A > (G > H) ____________Exp 1
5. G > H ____________MP 2,4
6. A > G ____________ Simp 3
7. G ____________MP 2,6
8. ~H v G ____________Add 7
9. H > G ____________CE 8
10. (G > H) & (H > G) ____________Conj 5,9
11. G=H ____________BE 10

(3)
1. (A & K) > R ____________Premise / Conclusion: A > R
2. K ____________Premise
3. (K & A) > R ____________Comm 1
4. K > (A > R) ____________Exp 3
5. A > R ____________MP 2,4
 

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