Geometry Honors Logic Problem: Who Done It?

Last month, someone committed a crime. A witness has just come forward and provided new evidence in the case.
Use the facts below to determine if anyone is guilty or if anyone can be excluded as a suspect. On a separate sheet of
paper, translate each statement into symbolic form and use the laws of logic to arrive at your conclusion.
The Facts:
1) If it was nighttime and the suspect did not have scars, then the butler is guilty.
2) The suspect was wearing short sleeves.
3) The witness was in a rush when he observed the crime.
4) If the suspect was bald, then he/she was wearing a hat.
5) If the witness heard crickets, then he was far away from the crime.
6) The witness was afraid to come forward.
7) If it was nighttime and the suspect has scars, then the butler is not guilty.
8) If the suspect was wearing shoes, then the footprints left behind would not contain DNA.
9) The suspect did not have any scars or the suspect was bald.
10) If the witness was in a rush, then he forgot to put on his glasses.
11) If the crime was committed at night, then the witness would have heard crickets.
12) If the suspect was not wearing shoes, then he/she could not run fast.
13) If it was daytime and the suspect had scars, then the chef is not guilty.
14) If the witness was not wearing glasses, then he could not see very well.
15) The police were able to send a DNA sample to the lab for testing.
16) The suspect must have been a fast runner or he/she was not wearing a hat.
17) The witness could see very well or he was close to the crime.
18) If it was daytime and the suspect did not have scars, then the chef is guilty.
19) If the suspect was wearing long sleeves, then there were no scars visible.
20) If the witness was far from the crime, then he was afraid to come forward.
21) If there was no DNA in the footprints, then the police cannot send samples to the lab for testing.

Use these variables when translating into symbolic form:

a = The suspect was wearing a hat.

g = The suspect was wearing shoes.

m = The suspect had scars.

b = The footprints contained DNA.

h = The witness forgot his glasses.

n = The suspect was a fast runner.

c = The chef is guilty.

i = The police sent DNA to the lab for testing.

o = The butler is guilty.

d = The suspect was wearing long sleeves.

j = The witness had good vision.

p = The witness was far away from the crime.

e = The witness was afraid to come forward.

k = The witness was in a rush.

q = The witness heard crickets.

f = The suspect was bald.

l = The crime occurred during the daytime.

Symbolic Statements
1)

~ l ~ m o

8)

g ~ b

15)

2)

~d

9)

~ m f

16)

n ~ a

3)

10)

k h

17)

j ~ p

4)

f a

11)

~l q

18)

l ~ m c

5)

q p

12)

~ g ~ n

19)

d ~ m

6)

13)

l m ~ c

20)

p e

7)

~ l m ~ o

14)

h ~ j

21)

~ b ~ i

Solution
k
k h
h

i
~ b ~ i
b

l ~ m
l ~ m c
c

h
h ~ j
~j

b
g ~ b
~g

The chef is guilty.

~j
j ~ p
~p

~g
~ g ~ n
~n

~p
q p
~q
~q
~l q
l

~n
n ~ a
~a
~a
f a
~f
~f
~ m f
~m

Statements 2 and 19 do not lead to

any valid conclusions. (fallacy of the
inverse)
Statements 6 and 20 do not lead to
any valid conclusions. (fallacy of the
converse)
The hypotheses of statements 1, 7,
and 13 are false, and thus, no valid
conclusion can be deduced.