Is the System Equivalent to the Expressed Conditions?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the equivalence of logical expressions involving existential quantifiers and inequalities in a mathematical context. Participants explore various formulations and transformations of these expressions, examining their implications and relationships. The scope includes theoretical reasoning and mathematical logic.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether the expression $$\exists y (G(y)=f \land G_1(y)\neq g_1 \land G_2(y)\neq g_2)$$ is equivalent to other formulations involving negations and existential quantifiers.
  • One participant proposes a transformation for a single inequality, suggesting that it can be expressed in terms of negations and existential quantifiers, and wonders if this can be generalized to multiple inequalities.
  • Another participant discusses the compatibility of statements involving $P(y)$ and $Q(y)$, suggesting that if they are incompatible, finding a witness for $P$ suffices.
  • There is a proposal to change the order of quantifiers and disjunctions, with some participants agreeing on the implications of such changes while others caution against it.
  • Several participants engage in clarifying the scope of quantifiers and the structure of logical expressions, debating whether certain transformations maintain equivalence.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the equivalence of various logical formulations, with no consensus reached on the transformations proposed. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of certain logical manipulations.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the equivalences discussed depend on the correct application of logical rules and the scope of quantifiers, which may not be universally agreed upon. There are also concerns about the complexity of expressions and whether certain transformations are valid.

mathmari
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Hey! :o

Suppose we have the system $$\exists y (G(y)=f \land G_1(y)\neq g_1 \land G_2(y)\neq g_2).$$

Is this equivalent to $$\not\exists y \ \left (G(y)=f \land G_1(y)= g_1 \land G_2(y)= g_2) \ \land \ \exists \ x(G(x)=f\right )$$ ?

Or to $$\not\exists y_1, \not\exists y_2 \ \left ((G(y_1)=f \land G_1(y_1)= g_1 ) \land (G(y_2)=f \land G_2(y)= g_2)\right ) \ \land \ \exists x \ \left (G(x)=f\right )$$ ? (Wondering)
 
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When we have one inequation I found in my notes the following:

$$\exists y (G(y)=f \land G_1(y) \neq g) \Leftrightarrow
(\neg (\exists x)(G(x)=f \land G_1(x)=g) \land (\exists y)(G(y)=f)) \lor
(\exists y \exists x (G(x)=f \land G_1(x)=g) \land (G(y)=f \land G_1(y) \neq g))$$ So when we $n$ inequalities do we have the following?

$$\exists y (G(y)=f \land \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j(y) \neq g_j) \\ \Leftrightarrow \\
(\neg (\exists x_j)(G(x_j)=f \land G_j(x_j)=g_j) \land (\exists y)(G(y)=f)) \lor
(\exists y \exists x_j (G(x_j)=f \land G_j(x_j)=g_j) \land (G(y)=f \land G_j(y) \neq g))$$ for $j=1, \dots , n$ (Wondering)
 
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mathmari said:
Suppose we have the system $$\exists y (G(y)=f \land G_1(y)\neq g_1 \land G_2(y)\neq g_2).$$
The statement $\exists y.\,P(y)\land\neg Q(y)$ is equivalent to a disjunction of two statements. The first is $[\forall x.\,\neg (P(x)\land Q(x))]\land\exists y\,P(y)$. That is, if $P$ and $Q$ are incompatible, then it is enough to find a witness of $P$. The second is $[\exists x.\,P(x)\land Q(x)]\land \exists y.\,P(y)\land\neg Q(y)$. That is, $P$ and $Q$ are compatible, in which case we need to find a witness of the original property, i.e., $P(y)\land\neg Q(y)$.

I don't see how this is useful since the equivalent statement is longer than the original. The point is that if one has to find a witness $y$ of $P(y)\land\neg Q(y)$ and additionally $P$ and $Q$ are incompatible, then it is enough to find a witness of $P$ — this is common sense.

Your situation arises if $P(y)$ is $G(y)=f$ and $Q(y)$ is $Q_1(y)\lor\dots\lor Q_n(y)$ where $Q_i(y)$ is $G_i(y)=g_i$.
 
When we have $n$ inequalities, is it then as follows?

$$\exists y (G(y)=f \land \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j(y) \neq g_j) \\ \iff \\ \neg (\exists x)(G(x)=f \land (\bigvee_{j=1}^n G_j(x)=g_j)) \land (\exists y)(G(y)=f) \lor (\exists y)(\exists x) [(G(x)=f \land (\bigvee_{j=1}^n G_j(x)=g_j) )\land (G(y)=f \land \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j(y) \neq g_j)]$$
 
Yes, this is correct.
 
And is the formula after the $\iff$ equivalent to $$\neg \left (\exists x \right )\big (\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left (G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y\right )\left (G(y)=f \right ) \big ) \\ \vee \\ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (\exists x \right ) \big [\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \big ]$$ ?
 
In the first member of disjunction, $\exists y\,G(y)=f$ should be outside $\neg\exists x$. Otherwise, yes.
 
Evgeny.Makarov said:
In the first member of disjunction, $\exists y\,G(y)=f$ should be outside $\neg\exists x$. Otherwise, yes.

Ok... In the first member can we change the order of $\neg x$ and $\bigvee$ ?

I mean, is it equivalent to the following?

$$\bigvee_{j=1}^n \big (\neg \left (\exists x \right ) \left (G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right )\big ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y\right )\left (G(y)=f \right ) \\ \vee \\ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (\exists x \right ) \big [\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \big ]$$
 
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No. The existential quantifier commutes with disjunction, i.e., $\exists x\,(A\lor B)\iff(\exists x\,A)\lor(\exists x\,B)$, so you can take $\exists$ inside the disjunction. However, the external $\neg$ will turn the disjunction into a conjunction.
 
  • #10
Do you mean $$\neg \left (\exists x \right )\big (\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left (G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right )\big ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y\right )\left (G(y)=f \right ) \\ \iff \\ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n \neg \left (\exists x \right )\left (G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y\right )\left (G(y)=f \right ) $$ ?
 
  • #11
Yes.
 
  • #12
The second member $$ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (\exists x \right ) \big [\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \big ]$$ is equivalent to $$ \left (\exists x \right ) \big [\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \big ]$$ right? At the beginning of the formula we cannot change the order of $\exists x$ and $\bigvee$, can we?
 
  • #13
The following equivalences are true.

\[
\begin{align}
\exists x\,\exists y\,A&\iff\exists y\,\exists x\,A\\
\exists x\,(A\land B)&\iff(\exists x\,A)\land B&&\text{if }x\text{ is not free in }B\\
\exists x\,(A\lor B)&\iff(\exists x\,A)\lor(\exists x\,B)\\
\exists x\,A&\iff A&&\text{if }x\text{ is not free in }A
\end{align}
\]

So ideally $\exists x$ and $\exists y$ should be in different members of conjunction. There is no reason for nesting one $\exists$ inside the other. Then the $\exists$ that is in front of the disjunction can be swapped with it.
 
  • #14
We have $$ \left (\exists x \right ) \big [\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \big ]$$

The $\left (\exists x \right )$ isn't for the whole expression, is it? So we don't need the "$\big [$" ... "$\big ]$", right?

The above formula is equivalent to $$ \bigvee_{j=1}^n \left (\exists x \right )\left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) $$

Is this correct?
 
  • #15
mathmari said:
We have $$ \left (\exists x \right ) \big [\bigvee_{j=1}^n \left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \big ]$$

The $\left (\exists x \right )$ isn't for the whole expression, is it?
As it is written, yes, it is for the whole expression, but using the equivalences I wrote the formula can be converted to where $\exists x$ is only in front of the first member of conjunction.

mathmari said:
The above formula is equivalent to $$ \bigvee_{j=1}^n \left (\exists x \right )\left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) $$
Yes.
 
  • #16
So does for each $j=1, \dots , n$ stand that

$$ \left (\exists x \right )\left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=f \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq g_j\right ) \\ \iff \\ \left (\exists x \right )\left ( G(x) =f \ \land \ G_j (x) =g_j \right ) \ \land \ \left (\exists y \right ) \left (G(y)=G(x) \ \land \ \bigwedge_{j=1}^n G_j (y) \neq G_j (x)\right )$$

?
 
  • #17
For this the scope of $\exists x$ should be extended to the end of the formula.
 
  • #18
Ok... Thanks a lot!
 

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