Is This Expression a Tautology?

  • Thread starter Thread starter aeronautical
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The expression ((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q) is confirmed as a tautology through a truth table analysis. The discussion outlines the process of evaluating the expression by filling in a truth table for all combinations of truth values for p and q. Each step demonstrates that when both p and q are true, the expression evaluates to true, confirming its tautological nature. The final conclusion is that the last column of the truth table yields true for all possible values of p and q.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of propositional logic
  • Familiarity with truth tables
  • Knowledge of logical implications (→) and conjunctions (Ʌ)
  • Basic skills in logical reasoning
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the construction and interpretation of truth tables in propositional logic
  • Learn about logical equivalences and their applications
  • Explore more complex tautologies and their proofs
  • Investigate the use of logical operators in programming languages
USEFUL FOR

Students of logic, mathematics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in understanding tautologies and propositional logic concepts.

aeronautical
Messages
33
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Determine if the following is a tautology:

((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q)

I don´t know how to show this. Can somebody pls show me all the steps
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Make the following table:

p|q|p → q|q → p|(p → q) Ʌ (q → p)|p Ʌ q|((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q)
T|T|
T|F|
F|T|
F|F|

Now finish this table, if the last column yields true for all possible values for p and q then ((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q) is a tautology.
 
Cyosis said:
Make the following table:

p|q|p → q|q → p|(p → q) Ʌ (q → p)|p Ʌ q|((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q)
T|T|
T|F|
F|T|
F|F|

Now finish this table, if the last column yields true for all possible values for p and q then ((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q) is a tautology.

im sorry but I am lost. this is very tricky. i don't understand this table
 
I have basically chopped your original expression into chunks. Every column of the table has a term of the original expression in it and I have used | to separate the columns. The last column has the entire expression in it.

Lets finish the first row:
p and q are true so q->p is true and p->q thus (p → q) Ʌ (q → p) is true. On the other hand we have p Ʌ q which is true so now we have all components that we want. So we can conclude, since (p → q) Ʌ (q → p) is true and (p Ʌ q) is true, ((p → q) Ʌ (q → p) → (p Ʌ q) must be true.

Now try to work your way through the other values of initial p and q. Note that I put all possible combinations in the first two columns.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K