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Rule of inference. Is the argument valid?

Mathematics Asked by Blue on February 5, 2021

Show that the following argument is valid by using rules of inference.

The premises are:

  1. $neg p vee r$
  2. $q rightarrow (k wedge t)$
  3. $p rightarrow q$
  4. $neg(k wedge t)$

The conclusion is: $r$

I was unable to solve this question but my lecturer said there is nothing wrong with this question. So, is the above argument valid? Please give your answer with prove and explanation.

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks

2 Answers

The argument is not valid.

The second, third, and fourth premises entail $neg p$ ... via modus tollens.

$$pto q, qto(kwedge t), neg(kwedge t)vdash neg p$$

So any interpretation which satisfies these three premises will also satisfy the first premise.

However, notice that their valuation is not dependent on the valuation of $r$.

Thus we may value $r$ as false in some interpretations where all four premises are satisfied.

Therefore $r$ is not entailed by these four premises.

Answered by Graham Kemp on February 5, 2021

This argument is invalid. Multiple applications of Modus Tollens on 2, 3, 4 leads to $neg p$.

Hence 1 always holds and no conclusion can be drawn on $r$.

Another way to show that this is invalid is via truth tables.

As long as $p=q=k=t=F$, $r$ can be $T$ or $F$.

The mistake in the question is either 1 should be $(p lor r)$ or $(neg p to r)$ (which are equivalent to each other.)

Answered by player3236 on February 5, 2021

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