TFL: Truth-Functional Logic Flashcards
Associated conditional
The associated conditional of an inference is the single sentence in conditional form which has the conjunction of the premises as the antecedent and the conclusion as the consequent. e.g. ((p v q) & ¬p) → q
Disjunction
v: only true when at least one of p and q is true. inclusive: when either p or q or both are true. Exclusive: when either p or q are true, not both
Truth Table: P Q PVQ T T T T F T F T T F F F
conditional
p→q: p is the antecedent, q is the consequent. It means if p then q. not symmetric p→q is not q→p. if the antecedent is false the conditional is true - anything can be implied from a falsehood
Truth Table: p q p → q T T T T F F F T T F F T
biconditional
←→: iff, if and only if. p and q must have the same truth value
Truth Table: p q p ↔ q T T T T F F F T F F F T
contingent sentence
true on at least one line of the truth table and false on at least one line
Tautology
true on every line of the truth table
contradiction
false on every line of the truth table
necessary sentence
there is the same truth value on every line of the truth table. i.e tautology or contradiction
invalid argument
on at least one line of the truth table, the premises are true and the conclusion is false
truth-functional validity
- an inference in TFL is a valid form iff there is no assignment of truth values of its atomic components which makes the premises true and the conclusion false.
- if the set consisting of all the premises and the negated conclusion are truth-functionally inconsistent
the truth table method of ascertaining validity
- formalise the inference in TFL
- create a joint truth table for all the premises and the conclusion. The number of rows is 2^n where n is the number of atoms
- check to see if there is a line where the premises are true but the conclusion false.
- If there is no such case the inference is valid
semantics
truth values of atomic sentences
grammar rules in TFL
- every atomic sentence is a sentence
- if A is a sentence, ⌝A is a sentence
3-6. if A and B are sentences A&B, AvB, A→B, A←→B are sentences - Nothing else is a sentence
example of failure of TFL
- socrates is a person – p
- all people are mortal – q
- therefore, Socrates is mortal – .:r
This is valid in natural language but not in TFL
associated conditional method of testing for validity
- formulate the argument as an associated conditional. i.e. P1, P2, … Pn .: C becomes (P1 & P2 & … Pn) → C
- analyse this in a truth table
- the argument is valid iff the results demonstrate a tautology (i.e. result is true on every line).
HOT TIP: start with the consequent when doing the big ass truth tables
Reductio ad absurdum
take assumption, arrive at a contradiction, then reject the assumption and accept the negation of the assumption
the no counter example method of testing for validity
- formulate the argument in a truth table by putting each of the premises and the conclusion in their own column
- try every combination of truth-value assignments to the individual atomic sentences
- If you find a contradiction at any point, stop - the argument is valid
- if you do not find any inconsistencies the argument is invalid.
deductive system
a mechanical procedure you go through to test for (in)/validity
semantic trees method of testing for validity
- set the argument out as:
P1
P2
⌝C (i.e. negated conclusion)
in the centre of the page - use the semantic tree rules which demonstrate options at disjunctions, conditionals, biconditionals etc.
- close a branch (with *) if a contradiction arises
- if there are any remaining branches (i.e non-closed branches), the argument is invalid, if not the argument is valid
- remember to demonstrate the possibility of a counter-example when proving invalidity by reading off an interpretation that makes the premises all true and the negated conclusion also true.
HOT TIP: do straight down rules first
when is an argument a tautology, contradiction or contingent when using semantic trees?
- if all branches are closed the argument is a tautology because the negation of the argument is a contradiction. only in this case is the argument valid
- if branches are left open the argument is either a contradiction or a contingent argument
- to find out which one do the tree with an un-negated conclusion if (a) branches are still open then the argument is contingent because it is neither a tautology or a contradiction but if (b) branches close the argument is a contradiction