Manuel S.
Enverga University Foundation College of Engineering and Technical Department
Discrete Mathematics
Rules of Inference Modus Ponens Law of Syllogism
Prepared by: Ryan Clifford P. Bibal BSECE-IV
Rules of Inference
Methods of Proof
Theorem a statement that can be shown to be true Proof sequence of statements that from an argument Argument a collection of statements, listed in order. The last statement is called the conclusion and the other statements are called the premises. Rules of Inference used to draw conclusions from other assertions; tie together the steps of a proof Fallacy resembles the rules of inference but are based on contingencies rather than tautologies
Rules of Inference
used to validate or invalidate a logical implication without resorting to a truth table (which will be prohibitively large if the number of variables are large) fundamental in the development of a step-by-step validation of conclusion which is logically based from a certain premise enable us to consider only the cases wherein all premises are true
First Rule of Inference: Modus Ponens
Methods of Affirming Law of Detachment Modus Ponens states that if both an implication and its hypothesis are known to be true, then the conclusion of this implication is true
In symbolic form, this rule is expressed by the logical implication
p 0 0 1 1 Tabular Form:
q 0 1 0 1
pq 1 1 0 1
0 0 0 1
1 1 1 1
Sample Problem 1: State whether the argument given is valid or not. 1. If the cake is made with sugar, then the cake is sweet.
2. The cake is made with sugar. 3. Therefore, the cake is sweet. Answer: The first two statements are the premises and the third statement is the conclusion. If the first and second are true, we are forced to accept the third.
Sample Problem 2 Determine whether the following argument is valid. 1. If John is elected, the income tax will be increased.
2. The income tax was increased. 3. So, John was elected.
Answer: The argument is invalid since it is not in the form of Modus Ponens.
Sample Problem 3 Is the following argument valid? 1. Smoking is healthy.
2. If smoking is healthy, then cigarettes are prescribed by physicians.
3. Therefore, cigarettes are prescribed by physicians.
Answer: The argument is valid since it is of the form Modus Ponens. However, the conclusion is false. Observe that the first premise p: smoking is healthy is false. The second premise is then true and , the conjunction of the two premise, is false.
Second rule of inference: Law of Syllogism
The Law of Syllogism allows you to state a conclusion from two true conditional statements when the conclusion of one statement is the hypothesis of the other statement. In symbolic form, this rule is expressed by the logical implication In tabular form,
Sample Problem 1 State whether the argument given is valid or not. 1. Aristotle is a man.
2. Man is a rational animal.
3. Therefore, Aristotle is a rational animal (conclusion).
Answer: By the Law of Syllogism, the argument is valid.
Sample Problem 2 State whether the argument given is valid or not. 1. Homer Simpson has four fingers on each of his hands.
2. Homer Simpson is an American.
3. Therefore, an American has four fingers on each of his hands.
Answer: Therefore, the given argument is invalid since no valid conclusion can be drawn out of the relationship between A and C.
