Understanding Symbolic Logic: Mr. X's Final & Class Pass

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the interpretation of symbolic logic statements related to Mr. X's academic performance. The statements are represented as p ("Mr. X got a C on his final") and q ("Mr. X passed the class"). The correct symbolic representations provided include ~p and q for "Mr. X did not get a C on his final but he passed the class," and both q => p for "It was necessary for Mr. X to get a C on his final in order for him to pass the class" and "Mr. X passed the class only if he got a C on his final." The consensus confirms that "but" functions similarly to "and" in logical expressions.

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  • Knowledge of conditional statements in logic
  • Basic comprehension of logical equivalences
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This discussion is beneficial for students of philosophy, mathematics, or computer science, particularly those studying symbolic logic and its applications in reasoning and argumentation.

buddyholly9999
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Ok..tried to help a friend understand some of his homework..I haven't seen symbolic logic since college, but there was this one problem in particular that went something like..."Mr. X got a C on his final." and "Mr. X passed the class"...we say that these are represented by p and q, respectively. Then it goes on to list some statements which you have to write in symbols.

1) Mr. X did not get a C on his final but he passed the class...
my response was ... ~p and q
I'm pretty damn sure I'm right but he kept complaining that the but might not denote the 'and' connective.

2) It was necessary for Mr. X to get a C on his final in order for him to pass the class.
My response was... q => p

3)
Mr. X passed the class only if he got a C on his final.
My response was... q => p

He trusts me that I'm right...and I'm figuring that the second and third responses are correct..but I'm worried I'm wrong..if you read the second and third statements, you can see why someone would think that they are essentially the same.

I hoping for some feedback..even if it's to tell me to %#@& off..
 
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Those all look fine to me. And yes "but" is the same as "and."
 
Does your friend speak English? Logically, "but" and "and" mean the same thing.
 

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