Does Proving a Contradiction Imply a Logical Relationship?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Horse
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Logic Proof
Horse
Messages
34
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Prove or disprove:

"If you can prove ( y \wedge \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
y \rightarrow c must be right."

Homework Equations



My teacher used the sign \wedge, instead of \vee, like:

"If ( a \wedge b \wedge \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then a \wedge b \rightarrow c must be right."

I feel it is not right.

The Attempt at a Solution



I proved in my replies:

"If you can prove ( a \wedge b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
a \wedge b \rightarrow c must be right."

I used the facts in my proof:

a \wedge \neg b = \neg ( a \rightarrow b ) = ( a \not \rightarrow b ) \not = \neg b \rightarrow \neg a \not = \neg a \not \rightarrow \neg b
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
I'm pretty sure you're either missing something or else you have mistyped it. (*) does not follow from the two contradictions given.
 
hatsoff said:
I'm pretty sure you're either missing something or else you have mistyped it. (*) does not follow from the two contradictions given.

Let's simplify. I know for sure:\neg ( a \rightarrow b ) = a \wedge \neg b

So

( a \rightarrow b ) = \neg a \vee b

If I want to prove ( a \rightarrow b ), then the finding a \wedge \neg b \rightarrow Contradiction will prove it. Please, notice that \neg ( a \rightarrow b ) \rightarrow Contradiction because the two statements are equivalent. As \neg ( a \rightarrow b ) and ( a \rightarrow b ) cannot be true at the same time, the conclusion must be valid.Let's compare its logic to the logic in the case:
Horse said:
The Argument:

a \wedge b \rightarrow c (*)

Its contradictions:

\neg a \wedge b \wedge \neg c \rightarrow Contradiction

a \wedge \neg b \wedge \neg c \rightarrow Contradiction

We notice that the argument is:
a \wedge b \rightarrow c = \neg ( a \rightarrow \neg b ) \rightarrow c

So \neg ( \neg ( a \rightarrow \neg b ) \rightarrow c ) \rightarrow Contradiction must prove it, by the logic above this reply.

Let's write its part differently:

\neg ( \neg ( a \rightarrow \neg b ) \rightarrow c ) = \neg ( a \rightarrow \neg b ) \not \rightarrow c = a \wedge b \not \rightarrow c

So I need to find that:

( a \wedge b \not \rightarrow c ) \rightarrow Contradiction = ( \neg a \vee \neg b \rightarrow \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction

Let's call d = \neg a \vee \neg b. So

( d \rightarrow \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction

Let's use again:

( a \rightarrow b ) = \neg a \vee b

So it becomes:
( d \rightarrow \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction = ( \neg d \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction

It is equivalent to:

( a \wedge b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction

Conclusion

My teacher probably had something wrong. It should be right:

( a \wedge b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction
 
Last edited:
New Problem

Prove a \vee b \rightarrow c

Conjecture, according to my last proof:

"If you can prove ( a \vee b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
a \vee b \rightarrow c must be right."

It is similar to the last proof by contradiction:

"If you can prove ( a \wedge b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
a \wedge b \rightarrow c must be right."
 
Last edited:


Horse said:
Prove a \vee b \rightarrow c

Conjecture, according to my last proof:

"If you can prove ( a \vee b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
a \vee b \rightarrow c must be right."

It is similar to the last proof by contradiction:

"If you can prove ( a \wedge b \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
a \wedge b \rightarrow c must be right."

Let's analyse them. Let p = a \vee b and y = a \wedge b. So the problems become:

"If you can prove ( p \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
p \rightarrow c must be right."

"If you can prove ( y \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
y \rightarrow c must be right."

I think the problem is now solved, because you can see it is basically of the same form.
 


Horse said:
"If you can prove ( y \vee \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
y \rightarrow c must be right."

Does the following method work?

"If you can prove ( y \wedge \neg c ) \rightarrow Contradiction, then
y \rightarrow c must be right."
 
Last edited:
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top