RULES OF INFERENCE AND RULES OF REPLACEMENT1

1. Modus Ponens 2. Modus Tollens

PQ PQ
_P_ ~Q_
:. Q :. ~P
3. Hypothetical Syllogism 4. Disjunctive Syllogism
PQ PVQ
QR _~P_
:.PR :. Q
5.Constructive Dilemma 6. Simplification
(PQ) o (RS) PoQ
PVR :.P
:.QVS :.Q
7. Conjunction 8 Addition
P P_
Q_ PVQ
PoQ
9. Absorption
P Q :. P ( P o Q)

RULES OF REPLACEMENT: Within a context of a proof, logically

equivalent expressions may replace each other
10. De Morgans Rule ~(P o Q) (~P v ~Q)
~(PVQ) (~P o ~Q)
11. Commutation (P v Q) (Q v P)
(P o Q) (Q o P)
12. Association [P v (Q v R)] [(P v Q) v R]
[Po (Q o R)] [(P o Q) o R]
13. Distribution [Po(Q v R)] [(P o Q) v (P o R)]
[P v (Q o R)] [(P v Q) o (P v R)]
14. Double Negation P ~~P
15. Transposition (PQ) (~Q~P)
16. Material Implication (PQ) (~P v Q)
17. Material Equivalence (P Q) [(P Q) o (Q P)]
(P Q) [(P o Q) v (~P o ~Q)]
18. Exportation [(P o Q)R)] [P(QR)]
19. Tautology P (P v P)
P (P o P)

STRATEGIES FOR APPLYING THE RULES OF INFERENCE

AND RULES OF REPLACEMENT

TO PROVE STRATEGY
1. A statement letter or the Use Modus Ponens, Modus Tollens, Disjunctive
negation or a sentence letter Syllogism
2. A o B Work for A and work for B, then use conjunction
3. ~(A o B) Work for the equivalent disjunction
~ A v ~B then apply De Morgans rule
4. A v B Work for A and infer A v B by Addition or use

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Condensed by Roland L. Aparece, MA from Dan Magat, A First Book in Logic (Manila: Felta,
1991) p.60 and Patrick Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic.(Belmont: Wadswoth/Thompson
Learning, 2000) pp. 370, 379-380, 389-390, 399-400.

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 Constructive Dilemma
5. ~A v ~B Work for the equivalent conjunction ~A o ~B then
apply De Morgans rule
6. A B Use any strategy for 1, or conditional proof. Work
for the equivalent ~A v B then apply Material
Implication. Sometime Hypothetical Syllogism will
do also.
7. ~(A B) Work for the equivalent ~(~A v B) then apply
Material Implication.
8. AB Work for A B, and B A separately and derive the
conjunction (A B) o (B A).

Or work for [(A o B) V (~A ~B)] by Disjunctive

Syllogism or constructive Dilemma.

Note if AB occurs as a premise then the first step

which you need is to break or translate the
equivalence to (A B) o B A), or
(A o B) V (~A o ~ B).
9. ~(A B) Work for (A B) (B o ~A) using the strategies
outlined above for implications and conjunctions.
10. A A To derive (A A), or any tautology, the best strategy is to
use conditional proof or indirect proof)

1. Always begin by attempting to fine the conclusion in the premises.

Given
~J
JVK
KL
Prove
L

Let us examine the above argument in detail. The conclusion is L. Upon inspection, we
can find K L in the premises wherein K is the antecedent of the consequent L. More so, K is
found in another premise, a disjunctive statement, J v K. In this case, the partner or other
disjunct of K is J. Lastly, we have a single letter ~J. To solve this argument, one could
simply infer mentally the flow of the solution: J v K and ~J, by applying disjunctive
syllogism to the two premises, one could get K. Now we have K L and K, by applying
Modus Ponens to the two premises, one could get L. Thus, the argument is valid as
demonstrated and the key to this solution is by starting to find the conclusion in the
premises.

JvK
~J given
K Disjunctive Syllogism
K L given
K above
L Modus Ponens
Q.E.D.

2. If the conclusion contains a letter that appears in the consequent of a conditional statement in
the premises, consider obtaining that letter via Modus Ponens.
Given
AB AB given
A A
Prove B Modus Ponens
B Q.E.D

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3. If the conclusion contains a negated letter and that appears in the antecedent of a conditional
statement in the premises, consider obtaining the negated letter via Modus Tollens.
Given

AB AB given
~B ~B given
~A ~A Modus Tollens
Prove Q.E.D
~A

4. If the conclusion is a conditional statement, consider obtaining it via Hypothetical syllogism.

Given
AC AC given
CB CB given
Prove AB Hypothetical Syllogism
AB

5. If the conclusion contains a letter that appears in a disjunctive statement in the premises,
consider obtaining that letter via Disjunctive Syllogism.

Given
AvB A v B given
~A ~A
Prove B Disjunctive Syllogism
B Q.E.D

6. If the conclusion contains a letter that appears in a conjunctive statement in the premises,
consider obtaining it via simplification.

Given
Ao B A o B given
Prove A Simplification
A Q.E.D.

7. If the conclusion is a conjunctive statement, consider obtaining it via conjunction by first

obtaining the individual conjuncts.

Given
A B A given
A C
C A o C Conjunction
Prove Q.E.D
Ao C .

8. If the conclusion is a disjunctive statement, consider obtaining it via Constructive Dilemma or

Addition.

Given
(AB) o (CD) (AB) o (CD) given
BC Av C given
Av C BvD Constructive Dilemma
Prove Q.E.D
BvD

Given
Av C B given
B B v D Addition
Prove Q.E.D
BvD

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9. If the conclusion contains a letter not found in the premises, Addition must be used to obtain
that letter. (See second example under strategy 8.)
10. Conjunction can be used to set up De Morgans Rule.
~A given
~B given
~A o ~B Conjunction
~(Av B) De Morgans Rule
Q.E.D

11. Constructive Dilemma can be used to set up De Morgans Rule.

(A ~B) o (C ~D) given
AvC given
~B v ~D Constructive Dilemma
~(B o D) De Morgans Rule

12. Addition can be used to set up De Morgans Rule.

~A given
~A v ~B Addition
~(A o B) De Morgans Rule

13. Distribution can be used in two ways to set up Disjunctive Syllogism

(A v B) o (Av C) given
~A
A v (B o C) Distribution
BoC Disjunctive Syllogism

A o (B v C) given
(A o B) v (A o C) Distribution
~(A o B) given
AoC Disjunctive Syllogism

14. Distribution can be used in two ways to set up Simplification.

A v (B o C) given
(A v B) o (A v C) Distribution
(A v B) Simplification

(A o B) v (A o C) given
A o (B v C) Distribution
A Simplification

15. If inspection of the premises does not reveal how the conclusion should be derived, consider
using the rules of replacement to deconstruct the conclusion. (See the example above)

16. Material implication can be used to set up Hypothetical Syllogism

~A v B given
~B v C given
A B Material Implication
B C
AC Hypothetical Syllogism

17. Exportation can be used to set up Modus Pones.

(A o B)C) given
A
A(BC) Exportation
A Above
BC) Modus Ponens

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18. Exportation can be used to set up Modus Tollens.
A(BC) given
(A o B)C Exportation
~C given
~(AB) Modus Ponens

19. Addition can be used to set up Material Implication.

A given
A v ~B Addition
~B v A Commutation
B A Material Implication

20. Transposition can be used to set up Hypothetical Syllogism

AB given
~C~B
BC Transposition
AB above
AC Hypothetical Syllogism

21. Transposition can be used to set up Constructive Dilemma.

Given
(AB) o (CD) given
(~B~A) o (~D ~C) Transposition
~B v ~D given
~A v ~C Constructive Dilemma

22. Constructive Dilemma can be used to set up Tautology.

(A C) o (B C) given
AvB
CvC Constructive Dilemma
C Tautology

23. Material Implication can be used to set up Tautology.

A~A given
~A v ~A Material Implication
~A Tautology

24. Material Implication can be used to set up Distribution.

A (Bo C) given
~Av (Bo C) Material Implication
(~A v B) o (~Av C) Distribution