MATH 363 Discrete Mathematics

SOLUTIONS: Assingment 1

1 Grading scheme
1. Full marks if IS/IS NOT A PROPOPOSITION is correct. Leave a note if the justification is incorrect.
2. Full marks if it is a proposition equivalent to those below. Leave a note if the language is ambiguous.
3. Full marks if answer is as below.
-1pt if there are parenthesis missing (except in question 3.i) )
4. 2pt if stated TRUE.
1pt if explained why it is TRUE.
5. 3pt if Truth tables are correct.
1pt if it is stated that ARE/ARE NOT EQUIVALENT.
-1pt for every pair of typos in each truth table.
6. Full marks if it is stated that IS /IS NOT TAUTOLOGY.
Leave a note if there is no reference to which assignment of truth values make the proposition false.
-1pt for every pair of typos in each truth table.
Extra points +2pt If the sequence of logical equivalences is correct.
+2pt If it is stated which logical equivalence law was used at each step.
-1pt If more than 2 of the stated logical equivalence law are incorrect/incomplete.
∗
Stating the use of Double negation law is not mandatory.

2 Assignment with solutions

1. (1pt each) Which of these are propositions? What are the truth values of those that are propositions?
i) What time is it?
Not a proposition: it does not state a fact
ii) The moon is made of green cheese.
A false proposition
iii) 2n ≥ 100.
Not a proposition: The fact is neither true or false

Consider the following propositions

p : I bought a lottery ticket this week.
q : I won the million dollar jackpot on Friday.
r : You get an A on the final exam.
s : You do every exercise in the textbook.
t : You get an A in this class.

2. (2pt each) Express each of these propositions as an English sentence.

1
 i) ¬p ∧ ¬q
I didn’t buy a lottery ticket this week and I didn’t win the million dollar jackpot on Friday.
ii) ¬p ∨ (p ∧ q)
Either I bought the lottery ticker and won the million dollar jackpot, or I didn’t buy the lottery ticket.
iii) ¬(p ∨ q)
It is not the case that either: I bought the lottery ticket or I won the million dollar jackpot on Friday
Also: same answer as in i)
3. (2pt each) Write these propositions using r, s, t and logical connectives.
i) You get an A on the final, you do every exercise in the textbook but you don’t get an A in this class.
r ∧ s ∧ ¬t
ii) Getting an A on the final and doing every exercise in the textbook is sufficient for getting an A in this
class.
(r ∧ s) → t
iii) You will get an A in this class if and only if you either do every exercise in the textbook or you get an
A on the final.
t ↔ (r ∨ s)
4. (3pt each) Determine whether these biconditionals are true or false.
i) 2 + 2 = 4 if and only if 1 + 1 = 2
True: both propositions are true.
ii) 0 > 1 if and only if 2 > 3
True: both propositions are false.
iii) 2 = 5 if and only if 8 − 3 = 4
True: both propositions are false.
5. (4pt each) Determine whether the following compound propositions are logically equivalent.

i) p → ¬p and (p ∨ q) → (p ∧ q)
They are not logically equivalent. See Truth Table 1
ii) p ↔ q and (p → q) ∧ (q → p)
They are logically equivalent. See Truth Table 2

6. (4pt each) Determine whether the following compound propositions are tautologies.
(+4pt if you use logical equivalences instead of truth tables)
i) (¬p ∧ (p → q)) → ¬q
This is not a tautology. See Truth Table 3
ii) [p ∧ (p → q)] → q
This is a tautology. See Truth Table 4
Alternative answers using logical equivalences in next section

Tables
p q ¬p p∨q p∧q (p ∨ q) → (p ∧ q) p → ¬p
T T F T T T F
1. T F F T F F F
F T T T F F T
F F T F F T T

2
 p q p→q q→p (p → q) ∧ (q → p) p↔q
T T T T T T
2. T F F T F F
F T T F F F
F F T T T T

p q ¬p p→q ¬p ∧ (p → q) ¬q [¬p ∧ (p → q)] → ¬q

T T F T F F T
3. T F F F F T T
F T T T T F F
F F T T T T T

p q p→q p ∧ (p → q) [p ∧ (p → q)] → q
T T T T T
4. T F F F T
F T T F T
F F T F T

Extra Points
6. i) (¬p ∧ (p → q)) → ¬q ≡ p ∨ ¬q. The latter is not a tautology.
Proof.
(¬p ∧ (p → q)) → ¬q by Implication law
≡ [¬p ∧ (¬p ∨ q)] → ¬q by Implication law
≡ ¬[¬p ∧ (¬p ∨ q)] ∨ ¬q by 1st De Morgan’s law
≡ [p ∨ ¬(¬p ∨ q)] ∨ ¬q by 2nd De Morgan’s law
≡ [p ∨ (p ∧ ¬q)] ∨ ¬q by Commut. + Assoc. laws
≡ (p ∨ ¬q) ∨ (p ∧ ¬q) by 1st Distributive law
≡ [(p ∨ ¬q) ∨ p] ∧ [(p ∨ ¬q) ∨ ¬q] by Commut. + Assoc. laws
≡ [(p ∨ p) ∨ ¬q] ∧ [p ∨ (¬q ∨ ¬q)] by Idempotent law
≡ [p ∨ ¬q] ∧ [p ∨ ¬q] by Idempotent law
≡ p ∨ ¬q

6. ii) (p ∧ (p → q)) → q ≡ T; which is a tautology.

Proof 1.
[p ∧ (p → q)] → q by Implication law
≡ [p ∧ (¬p ∨ q)] → q by 2nd Distributive law
≡ [(p ∧ ¬p) ∨ (p ∧ q)] → q by Negation law
≡ [F ∨ (p ∧ q)] → q by Domination law
≡ (p ∧ q) → q by Implication law
≡ ¬(p ∧ q) ∨ q by 1st De Morgan law
≡ (¬p ∨ ¬q) ∨ q by Associative law
≡ ¬p ∨ (¬q ∨ q) by Negation law
≡ ¬p ∨ T by Domination law
≡ T

3
Proof 2.

[p ∧ (p → q)] → q by Implication law

≡ ¬[p ∧ (p → q)] ∨ q by 1st De Morgan’s law
≡ [¬p ∨ ¬(p → q)] ∨ q by Commut. + Assoc. laws
≡ [¬p ∨ q] ∨ [¬(p → q) ∨ q] by Implication law
≡ [¬p ∨ q] ∨ [¬(¬p ∨ q) ∨ q] by 2nd De Morgan’s law
≡ [¬p ∨ q] ∨ [(p ∧ ¬q) ∨ q] by 1st Distributive law
≡ [¬p ∨ q] ∨ [(p ∨ q) ∧ (¬q ∨ q)] by Negation law
≡ [¬p ∨ q] ∨ [(p ∨ q) ∧ T] by Domination law
≡ [¬p ∨ q] ∨ [p ∨ q] by Commut. + Assoc. laws
≡ [¬p ∨ p] ∨ [q ∨ q] by Negation law
≡ T ∨ [q ∨ q] by Idempotent law
≡ T∨q by Domination law
≡ T