Professional Documents
Culture Documents
P Q PQ
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F T
Simplest rule: True only if the truth-
values match
P Q PQ
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F T
That is: True only if both are True
OR both are False
(it's the second clause that gets forgotten)
P Q PQ
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F T
DeMorgans Laws
A conjunction (p & q) is true if and only if
both conjuncts are true.
P Q
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
P Q p&q
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T
T F
F T
T F
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T
T F F
F T F
T F F
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T F
T F F T
F T F T
T F F T
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T F F
T F F T F
F T F T T
F F F T T
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T F F F
T F F T F T
F T F T T F
F F F T T T
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T F F F F
T F F T F T T
F T F T T F T
F F F T T T T
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T F F F F
T F F T F T T
F T F T T F T
F F F T T T T
~(p & q) (~p v ~q)
T T T F F F F T
T F F T F T T T
F T F T T F T T
F F F T T T T T
Symbolize & test for validity
Valerie is either a doctor or a lawyer.
D: Valerie is a doctor.
L: Valerie is a lawyer.
S: Valerie is a stockbroker.
Valerie is either a doctor or a lawyer.
DvL
Valerie is neither a doctor nor a stockbroker.
D: Valerie is a doctor.
L: Valerie is a lawyer.
S: Valerie is a stockbroker.
Valerie is either a doctor or a lawyer.
DvL
Valerie is neither a doctor nor a stockbroker.
~(D v S)
Hence Valerie is a lawyer.
D: Valerie is a doctor.
L: Valerie is a lawyer.
S: Valerie is a stockbroker.
Valerie is either a doctor or a lawyer.
DvL
Valerie is neither a doctor nor a stockbroker.
~(D v S)
Hence Valerie is a lawyer.
L
D: Valerie is a doctor.
L: Valerie is a lawyer.
S: Valerie is a stockbroker.
The test
Construct a truth table. Use a separate column for
each premise. Put the conclusion on the rightmost
end.
Compute the values.
Ask: Is there any row where all the premises are
true and the conclusion is false?
If yes: the argument is invalid.
If no: the argument is valid.
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S)
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S)
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T
T
T
T
F
F
F
F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T
T T
T F
T F
F T
F T
F F
F F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T
T T F
T F T
T F F
F T T
F T F
F F T
F F F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T
T T F
T F T
T F F
F T T
F T F
F F T F
F F F F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T
T T F T
T F T T
T F F T
F T T T
F T F T
F F T F
F F F F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T
T T F T
T F T T
T F F T
F T T T
F T F T F
F F T F
F F F F F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T T
T T F T T
T F T T T
T F F T T
F T T T T
F T F T F
F F T F T
F F F F F
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T T F
T T F T T F
T F T T T F
T F F T T F
F T T T T F
F T F T F T
F F T F T F
F F F F F T
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T T F T
T T F T T F T
T F T T T F F
T F F T T F F
F T T T T F T
F T F T F T T
F F T F T F F
F F F F F T F
The test
Is there any row where all the premises are
true and the conclusion is false?
If yes: the argument is invalid.
If no: the argument is valid.
The test
Is there any row where all the premises are
true and the conclusion is false?
Note that on any row we need to look only
at the columns for the premises and for the
conclusion. The other columns can be
ignored!
Mark the premise columns somehow, and
put the conclusion in your last column.
DvL
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T T F T
T T F T T F T
T F T T T F F
T F F T T F F
F T T T T F T
F T F T F T T
F F T F T F F
F F F F F T F
DvL
No such row. VALID!
~(D v S)
Therefore, L
D L S DvL (D v S) ~(D v S) L
T T T T T F T
T T F T T F T
T F T T T F F
T F F T T F F
F T T T T F T
F T F T F T T
F F T F T F F
F F F F F T F