UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

METHODS OF PROOFS

LECTURE BY:
MS. CHERRY ROSE ESTABILLO

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

RULES OF INFERENCE FOR

QUANTIFIED STATEMENT
UNIVERSAL INSTANTIATION is the rule of inference
used to conclude that P(xi) is true, where xi is a
particular member of the domain, given the
premise xP(x).

Rule of Inference
xP(x)
P(xi)
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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

Example:
Everyone in this discrete mathematics class has
taken a course in Information Technology. John
is a student in this class. Therefore, John has
taken a course in Information Technology.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

UNIVERSAL GENERALIZATION is the rule of

inference that states that xP(x), given the
premise that P(xi) is true for all elements xi in
the domain

Rule of Inference
P(xi) for an arbitrary xi
xP(x)

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

EXISTENTIAL INSTANTIATION is the rule that

allows us to conclude that there is an
element xi in the domain for which P(xi) is
true if we know that xP(x) is true.

Rule of Inference
xP(x)
P(xi) for some element xi

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

EXISTENTIAL GENERALIZATION is the rule of

inference that is used to conclude that xP(x)
is true when a particular element xi with P(xi)
true is known.

Rule of Inference
P(xi) for some element xi
xP(x)

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

Write a formal proof.

(1) A student in this class has not been late.
Everyone in this class passed the first exam.
Therefore, someone who passed the first exam
has not been late.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

(2) Ana, a student in this class, knows how to

write program in Java. Everyone knows how to
write program in Java can get a high-paying job.
Therefore, someone in this class can get a high-
paying job.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

(3) Somebody in this class enjoys watching whale.

Every persons who enjoys whale watching cares
about ocean pollution. Therefore, there is a
person in this class who cares about ocean
pollution.
(4) Each of the 43 students in this class owns a
laptop. Everyone can use word processing
program. Therefore, Jen, a student in this class,
has a laptop and can use a word processing
program.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

(1) All movies produced by Pixar are wonderful. Pixar

produced a movie about cars. Therefore, there is a
wonderful movie about cars.
(2) There is someone in this class who has been to France.
Everyone who goes to France visits the Louvre.
Therefore, someone in this class has visited the Louvre.
(3) It is not sunny this afternoon and it is colder than
yesterday. We will go swimming only if it is sunny. If we
do not go swimming, then we will take a canoe trip. If
we take a canoe trip, then we will be home by sunset.
Therefore, We will be home by the sunset.

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1.) All convertible cars are fun to drive.
Eugenes car is not fun to drive. There
 All integrable functions are differentiable.
Some functions are integrable and continuous.
Therefore, there is a function which is
differentiable.
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

COMBINING RULES OF INFERENCE FOR

PROPOSITIONS AND QUANTIFIED
STATEMENT
UNIVERSAL MODUS PONENS

x(P(x)Q(x))
P(xi), xi is a particular element in the domain
Q(xi)

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

UNIVERSAL MODUS TOLLENS

x(P(x)Q(x))
Q(xi), xi is a particular element in D
P(xi)

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 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

Exercises:
(1) Use the rules of inference to show that if
x(P(x) (Q(x)S(x))) and x(P(x) R(x))
are true, then x(R(x) S(x)) is true.

(2) Use the rules of inference to show that if

x(P(x) v Q(x)) and x((P(x) Q(x))
R(x)) are true, then x(R(x) P(x)) is
also true, where the domains of all
quantifiers are the same.

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INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

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