Mixed Quantifers confusion Descrete Math

  • Thread starter Thread starter mr_coffee
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Confusion Mixed
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding mixed quantifiers in discrete mathematics, specifically focusing on the interpretation of statements involving existential and universal quantifiers. The original poster presents a statement involving real numbers and seeks clarification on its truth value and justification.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the implications of the quantifiers in the statement, questioning whether a single value of x can satisfy the condition for all values of y. There is discussion about the differences between the given example and the original problem.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the nature of the quantifiers and how they affect the truth of the statements. There is an ongoing exploration of the implications of the quantifiers, with attempts to clarify the original poster's confusion regarding the statements.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the order of quantifiers significantly affects the interpretation of the statements, and there is a suggestion that the original poster may have misinterpreted the notation in their question.

mr_coffee
Messages
1,613
Reaction score
1
THe directions say< indicate which fo the following statements are true and which are false, Justify your answers as best you can.

Here is the question:
[tex]\exists[/tex] x [tex]\in[/tex] R such that [tex]\forall[/tex] [tex]\in[/tex] R, x = y + 1.

I wrote the following:
There exists a real number x such that given any real number y the property x=y+1 will be true. True. y = x-1. Then y is a real number, and y + 1 = (x-1)+1 = x.

I really don't know if i did this right or not but there was an example but slighty different and the book had the following:
[tex]\forall[/tex] x [tex]\in[/tex] Z, [tex]\exists[/tex] y [tex]\in[/tex] Z such that x = y + 1.

There answer was:
Given any integer, there is an integer such that tthe first inteer is one more than the second integer. this is true. Given any integer x, take y = x-1. Then y is an integer, and y + 1 = (x-1) + 1 = x.

I'm really confused on how to go about tackling these problems. Any help would be great! thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
For the first one, there needs to be a single x that works for all y. Note how this is different from the second one.
 
mr_coffee said:
THe directions say< indicate which fo the following statements are true and which are false, Justify your answers as best you can.

Here is the question:
[tex]\exists[/tex] x [tex]\in[/tex] R such that [tex]\forall[/tex] [tex]\in[/tex] R, x = y + 1.
Doesn't make sense. Did you mean [tex]\for all y[/itex] ?? <br /> If you meant [tex]\forall y[/tex] then y= x-1 works, doesn't it?<br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="" data-quote="" data-source="" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I wrote the following:<br /> There exists a real number x such that given any real number y the property x=y+1 will be true. True. y = x-1. Then y is a real number, and y + 1 = (x-1)+1 = x.<br /> <br /> I really don't know if i did this right or not but there was an example but slighty different and the book had the following:<br /> [tex]\forall[/tex] x [tex]\in[/tex] Z, [tex]\exists[/tex] y [tex]\in[/tex] Z such that x = y + 1. </div> </div> </blockquote> What is true in Z (set of all integers) is not necessarily true in R (set of all real numbers) but the difference is usually a matter of multiplication or division, not addition.<br /> <br /> [/quote]There answer was:<br /> Given any integer, there is an integer such that tthe first inteer is one more than the second integer. this is true. Given any integer x, take y = x-1. Then y is an integer, and y + 1 = (x-1) + 1 = x.<br /> <br /> I'm really confused on how to go about tackling these problems. Any help would be great! thanks![/QUOTE][/tex]
 
I thought it was odd that I could solve them exactly the same way. For the first one, if i had to find a single x for all y, u would think i would have to write it differently than if i was finding for all x there exists a y.
 
The order of the quantifiers is switched between the example and your problem. Your problem says, (as you correctly interpreted):
"There exists a real number x such that given any real number y the property x=y+1 will be true."
Another way of putting it is:
"There exists a real number x such that no matter what real number y I choose, x = y+1."
You should intuitively convince yourself that these are the same.

So let's try an example--say that x = 2. Is it true that no matter what real number y I choose, x = y + 1? No, because if I choose y = 100, then x does not equal 100 + 1 = 101. What if I chose x = 5. Could you find a y that makes the equation false? Is there ANY x that wouldn't have a y that would make the equation false?
 

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
20
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K