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Well Formed Formulas in TOC

The document discusses normal forms of well-formed formulas in propositional logic. It defines disjunctive normal form as a sum of elementary products, and principal disjunctive normal form as a sum of minterms. A method is given to convert any formula into principal disjunctive normal form using steps like eliminating implications and negations, applying distribution laws, and introducing missing variables. Conjunctive normal form is also defined as the dual of disjunctive normal form. Examples are provided to demonstrate converting formulas to both normal forms. The relationship between normal forms and Boolean functions/algebras is noted.

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423 views

Well Formed Formulas in TOC

The document discusses normal forms of well-formed formulas in propositional logic. It defines disjunctive normal form as a sum of elementary products, and principal disjunctive normal form as a sum of minterms. A method is given to convert any formula into principal disjunctive normal form using steps like eliminating implications and negations, applying distribution laws, and introducing missing variables. Conjunctive normal form is also defined as the dual of disjunctive normal form. Examples are provided to demonstrate converting formulas to both normal forms. The relationship between normal forms and Boolean functions/algebras is noted.

Uploaded by

Rajendranbehappy
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© © All Rights Reserved
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You are on page 1/ 5

Chapter 1: Propositions and Predicates

1.2

!Oil

11

NORMAL FORMS OF WELL-FORMED FORMULAS

We have seen various well-fonned fonnulas in tenns of two propositional


variables, say, P and Q. We also know that two such fonnulas are equivalent
if and only if they have the same truth table. The number of distinct truth
tables for fonnulas in P and Q is 24 . (As the possible combinations of truth
values of P and Q are IT, TF, FT, FF, the truth table of any fonnula in P
and Q has four rows. So the number of distinct truth tables is 24 .) Thus there
are only 16 distinct (nonequivalent) fonnulas, and any fonnula in P and Q is
equivalent to one of these 16 fonnulas.
In this section we give a method of reducing a given fonnula to an
equivalent fonn called the 'nonnal fonn'. We also use 'sum' for disjunction,
'product' for conjunction, and 'literal' either for P or for -, P, where P is any
propositional variable.

DefInition 1.6 An elementary product is a product of literals. An elementary


sum is a sum of literals. For example, P 1\ -, Q, -, P 1\ -, Q, P 1\ Q, -, P 1\ Q
are elementary products. And P v -, Q, P v -, R are elementary sums.
DefInition 1.7 A fonnula is in disjunctive nonnal fonn if it is a sum of
elementary products. For example, P v (Q 1\ R) and P v (-, Q 1\ R) are in
disjunctive nonnal fonn. P 1\ (Q v R) is not in disjunctive nonnal fonn.

1.2.1

CONSTRUCTION TO OBTAIN A
FORM OF A GIVEN FORMULA

Step 1 Eliminate ~ and


P ~ Q == (-, P v Q).)

:::}

~CTIVE
~

NORMAL

using logical identities. (We can use I 1e, l.e.

Step 2 Use DeMorgan's laws (/6) to eliminate -, before sums or products.


The resulting fonnula has -, only before the propositional variables, i.e. it
involves sum, product and literals.
Step 3 Apply distributive laws (/4) repeatedly to eliminate the product of
sums. The resulting fonnula will be a sum of products of literals, i.e. sum of
elementary products.

EXAMPLE 1.11
Obtain a disjunctive nonnal fonn of

P v (-,P

(Q v (Q

-,R)

Solution
P v (--, P

(Q v (Q

-, R)

== P v (--, P ~ (Q v (--, Q v -, R)

(step 1 using In)

== P v (P v (Q v (--, Q v -, R)

(step 1 using 112 and

h)

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12

Theory of Computer Science

== P v P v

Q v -, Q v -, R

by using 13

== P v Q v -, Q v -, R

by using Ii

Thus, P v Q v -, Q v -, R is a disjunctive normal form of the given formula.

EXAMPLE 1.12
Obtain the disjunctive normal form of
(P ;\ -, (Q ;\ R))

v (P

=}

Q)

Solution
(P ;\ -, (Q ;\ R)) v (P

=}

Q)

1d

== (P ;\ -, (Q ;\ R) v (---, P v Q)

(step 1 using

== (P ;\ (-, Q v -, R)) v (---, P v Q)

(step 2 using 17)

== (P ;\ -, Q) v (P ;\ -, R) v -, P v Q

(step 3 using 14 and 13 )

Therefore, (P ;\ -, Q) v (P ;\ -, R) v -, P v Q is a disjunctive normal form


of the given formula.
For the same formula, we may get different disjunctive normal forms. For
example, (P ;\ Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ Q ;\ -, R) and P ;\ Q are disjunctive normal
forms of P ;\ Q. SO. we introduce one more normal form, called the principal
disjunctive nomwl form or the sum-of-products canonical form in the next
definition. The advantages of constructing the principal disjunctive normal
form are:
(i) For a given formula, its principal disjunctive normal form is unique.
(ii) Two formulas are equivalent if and only if their principal disjunctive
normal forms coincide.

Definition 1.8 A minterm in n propositional variables p], .,', P/1 is


QI ;\ Q2 ' " ;\ Q/l' where each Qi is either Pi or -, Pi'
For example. the min terms in PI and P 2 are Pi ;\ P 2, -, p] ;\ P 2,
p] ;\ -, P'J -, PI ;\ -, P 2, The number of minterms in n variables is 2/1.
Definition 1.9 A formula ex is in principal disjunctive normal form if ex is
a sum of minterms.

1.2.2 CONSTRUCTION TO OBTAIN THE PRINCIPAL


DISJUNCTIVE NORMAL FORM OF A GIVEN FORMULA

Step 1

Obtain a disjunctive normal form.

Step 2

Drop the elementary products which are contradictions (such as

P ;\ -, P),

Step 3 If Pi and -, Pi are missing in an elementary product ex, replace ex by


(ex;\ P) v (ex;\ -,PJ

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Chapter 1: Propositions and Predicates

g,

13

Step 4 Repeat step 3 until all the elementary products are reduced to sum
of minterms. Use the idempotent laws to avoid repetition of minterms.

EXAMPLE 1.13
Obtain the canonical sum-of-products form (i.e. the principal disjunctive
normal form) of
ex = P v (-, P ;\ -, Q ;\ R)

Solution
Here ex is already in disjunctive normal form. There are no contradictions. So
we have to introduce the missing variables (step 3). -, P ;\ -, Q ;\ R in ex is
already a minterm. Now,
P == (P ;\ Q) v (P ;\ -, Q)
== ((P ;\ Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ Q ;\ -, R)) v (P ;\ -, Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ -, Q ;\ -, R)
== ((P ;\ Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ Q ;\ -, R)) v ((P ;\ -, Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ -, Q ;\ -, R))

Therefore. the canonical sum-of-products form of ex is


if;\Q;\mvif;\Q;\-,mvif;\-,Q;\m
v (P ;\ -, Q ;\ -, R) v (-, P ;\ -, Q ;\ R)

EXAMPLE 1.14
Obtain the principal disjunctive normal form of

ex

= (-, P v -, Q) ::::} (-, P ;\ R)

Solution

ex =
==

(-, P v -, Q) ::::} (-, P ;\ R)

hh P v -, Q)) v h

== (P ;\ Q) v

P ;\ R)

P ;\ R)

== ((P ;\ Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ Q ;\ -, R)) v

by using 1\2
by using DeMorgan's law

(h P

;\ R ;\ Q) v

P ;\ R ;\ -, Q))

==if;\Q;\mvif;\Q;\-,mvhP;\Q;\mv(-,p;\-,Q;\m

So, the principal disjunctive normal form of ex is


if;\Q;\mvif;\Q;\-,mvhP;\Q;\mVhP;\-,QAm
A minterm of the form

Ql ;\ Q2 A ... A Qn can be represented by


where (Ii = 0 if Qi = -, Pi and (Ii = 1 if Qi = Pi' So the principal
disjunctive normal form can be represented by a 'sum' of binary strings. For
L;.ample, (P ;\ Q ;\ R) v (P ;\ Q A -, R) v (-, P ;\ -, Q ;\ R) can be represented
by 111 v 110 v 001.
The minterms in the two variables P and Q are 00, 01, 10, and 11, Each
wff is equivalent to its principal disjunctive normal form. Every principal
disjunctive normal form corresponds to the minterms in it, and hence to a
(11(12 .. (I",

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14

Theory of Computer Science

subset of {OO, 01, 10, 11}. As the number of subsets is 24 , the number of
distinct formulas is 16. (Refer to the remarks made at the beginning of this
section.)
The truth table and the principal disjunctive normal form of a are closely
related. Each minterm corresponds to a particular assignment of truth values
to the variables yielding the truth value T to a. For example, P 1\ Q 1\ --, R
corresponds to the assignment of T, T, F to P, Q and R, respectively. So, if
the truth table of a is given. then the minterms are those which correspond
to the assignments yielding the truth value T to ex.
EXAMPLE 1.1 5
For a given formula a, the truth values are given in Table 1.12. Find the
principal disjunctive normal form.
Truth Table of Example 1.15

TABLE 1.12
P

T
T
T
T
F
F
F
F

T
T
F
F
T
T
F
F

T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F

T
F
F
T
T
F
F
T

Solution
We have T in the a-column corresponding to the rows 1, 4, 5 and 8. The
minterm corresponding to the first row is P 1\ Q 1\ R.
Similarly, the mintem1S corresponding to rows 4, 5 and 8 are respectively
P 1\ --, Q 1\ ---, R, --, P 1\ Q 1\ Rand --, P 1\ ---, Q 1\ --, R. Therefore, the principal
disjunctive normal form of ex is

ifI\Ql\mvifl\--,QI\--,mvbPI\Ql\mvbPI\--,QI\--,m
We can form the 'dual' of the disjunctive normal form which is termed the
conjunctive normal form.

DefInition 1.10 A formula is in conjunctive normal form if it is a product


of elementary sums.
If a is in disjunctive normal form, then --, a is in conjunctive normal
form. (This can be seen by applying the DeMorgan's laws.) So to obtain the
conjunctive normal form of a, we construct the disjunctive normal form of
--, a and use negation.
Deimition 1.11

A maxterm in n propositional variables

PI, P2,

. ,

Pn is

Ql V Q2 V ... V QII' where each Qi is either Pi or --, Pi'

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Chapter 1: Propositions and Predicates

J;;I,

15

DefInition 1.12 A formula ex is in principal conjunctive normal form if ex


is a product of maxterms. For obtaining the principal conjunctive normal form
of ex, we can construct the principal disjunctive normal form of -, ex and apply
negation.

EXAMPLE 1.16
Find the principal conjunctive normal form of

ex

=P

v (Q :::::} R).

Solution

-, ex=

-,(P v (Q:::::} R))

== -, (P v (-,

Q v R))

== -, P

1\ (-, (-,

== -, P

1\

(Q

by using 112

Q v R))

1\ -,

by using DeMorgan' slaw


by using DeMorgan's law and 17

R)

-, P /\ Q 1\ -, R is the principal disjunctive normal form of -,


the principal conjunctive normal form of ex is
-, (-, P

1\

1\ -,

R)

=P

ex. Hence,

v -, Q v R

The logical identities given in Table 1.11 and the normal forms of well-formed
formulas bear a close resemblance to identities in Boolean algebras and normal
forms of Boolean functions. Actually, the propositions under v, 1\ and -, form
a Boolean algebra if the equivalent propositions are identified. T and F act as
bounds (i.e. 0 and 1 of a Boolean algebra). Also, the statement formulas form
a Boolean algebra under v, 1\ and -, if the equivalent formulas are identified.
The normal forms of \vell-formed formulas correspond to normal forms
of Boolean functions and we can 'minimize' a formula in a similar manner.

The rules of inference are simply tautologies in the form of implication


(i.e. P :::::} Q). For example. P :::::} (P v Q) is such a tautology, and it is a rule

P
Q . Here P denotes a premise.
. ".Pv
The proposition below the line. i.e. P v Q is the conclusion.
of inference. We write this in the form

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