structure for 'Formal Logic'    |     alphabetical list of themes    |     unexpand these ideas

4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 2. Tools of Propositional Logic / d. Basic theorems of PL

[very useful sequents provable in propositional logic]

18 ideas
'Modus ponendo tollens' (MPT) says P, ¬(P ∧ Q) |- ¬Q [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: 'Modus ponendo tollens' (MPT) says that if the negation of a conjunction holds and also one of its conjuncts, then the negation of the other conjunct holds. Thus P, ¬(P ∧ Q) |- ¬Q may be introduced as a theorem.
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
     A reaction: Unlike Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens, this is a derived rule.
We can change conjunctions into negated conditionals with P→Q -||- ¬(P → ¬Q) [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: The proof that P∧Q -||- ¬(P → ¬Q) is useful for enabling us to change conjunctions into negated conditionals.
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
The Distributive Laws can rearrange a pair of conjunctions or disjunctions [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: The Distributive Laws say that P ∧ (Q∨R) -||- (P∧Q) ∨ (P∧R), and that P ∨ (Q∨R) -||- (P∨Q) ∧ (P∨R)
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
De Morgan's Laws make negated conjunctions/disjunctions into non-negated disjunctions/conjunctions [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: The forms of De Morgan's Laws [P∨Q -||- ¬(¬P ∧ ¬Q); ¬(P∨Q) -||- ¬P ∧ ¬Q; ¬(P∧Q) -||- ¬P ∨ ¬Q); P∧Q -||- ¬(¬P∨¬Q)] transform negated conjunctions and disjunctions into non-negated disjunctions and conjunctions respectively.
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
We can change conditionals into disjunctions with P→Q -||- ¬P ∨ Q [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: The proof that P→Q -||- ¬P ∨ Q is useful for enabling us to change conditionals into disjunctions.
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
We can change conditionals into negated conjunctions with P→Q -||- ¬(P ∧ ¬Q) [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: The proof that P→Q -||- ¬(P ∧ ¬Q) is useful for enabling us to change conditionals into negated conjunctions
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
'Modus tollendo ponens' (MTP) says ¬P, P ∨ Q |- Q [Lemmon]
     Full Idea: 'Modus tollendo ponens' (MTP) says that if a disjunction holds and also the negation of one of its disjuncts, then the other disjunct holds. Thus ¬P, P ∨ Q |- Q may be introduced as a theorem.
     From: E.J. Lemmon (Beginning Logic [1965], 2.2)
     A reaction: Unlike Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens, this is a derived rule.
The Law of Transposition says (P→Q) → (¬Q→¬P) [Hughes/Cresswell]
     Full Idea: The Law of Transposition says that (P→Q) → (¬Q→¬P).
     From: GE Hughes/M Cresswell (An Introduction to Modal Logic [1968], Ch.1)
     A reaction: That is, if the consequent (Q) of a conditional is false, then the antecedent (P) must have been false.
'Thinning' ('dilution') is the key difference between deduction (which allows it) and induction [Hacking]
     Full Idea: 'Dilution' (or 'Thinning') provides an essential contrast between deductive and inductive reasoning; for the introduction of new premises may spoil an inductive inference.
     From: Ian Hacking (What is Logic? [1979], §06.2)
     A reaction: That is, inductive logic (if there is such a thing) is clearly non-monotonic, whereas classical inductive logic is monotonic.
Gentzen's Cut Rule (or transitivity of deduction) is 'If A |- B and B |- C, then A |- C' [Hacking]
     Full Idea: If A |- B and B |- C, then A |- C. This generalises to: If Γ|-A,Θ and Γ,A |- Θ, then Γ |- Θ. Gentzen called this 'cut'. It is the transitivity of a deduction.
     From: Ian Hacking (What is Logic? [1979], §06.3)
     A reaction: I read the generalisation as 'If A can be either a premise or a conclusion, you can bypass it'. The first version is just transitivity (which by-passes the middle step).
Only Cut reduces complexity, so logic is constructive without it, and it can be dispensed with [Hacking]
     Full Idea: Only the cut rule can have a conclusion that is less complex than its premises. Hence when cut is not used, a derivation is quite literally constructive, building up from components. Any theorem obtained by cut can be obtained without it.
     From: Ian Hacking (What is Logic? [1979], §08)
'Assumptions' says that a formula entails itself (φ|=φ) [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Principle of Assumptions says that any formula entails itself, i.e. φ |= φ. The principle depends just upon the fact that no interpretation assigns both T and F to the same formula.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.A)
     A reaction: Thus one can introduce φ |= φ into any proof, and then use it to build more complex sequents needed to attain a particular target formula. Bostock's principle is more general than anything in Lemmon.
'Thinning' allows that if premisses entail a conclusion, then adding further premisses makes no difference [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Principle of Thinning says that if a set of premisses entails a conclusion, then adding further premisses will still entail the conclusion. It is 'thinning' because it makes a weaker claim. If γ|=φ then γ,ψ|= φ.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.B)
     A reaction: It is also called 'premise-packing'. It is the characteristic of a 'monotonic' logic - where once something is proved, it stays proved, whatever else is introduced.
'Cutting' allows that if x is proved, and adding y then proves z, you can go straight to z [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Principle of Cutting is the general point that entailment is transitive, extending this to cover entailments with more than one premiss. Thus if γ |= φ and φ,Δ |= ψ then γ,Δ |= ψ. Here φ has been 'cut out'.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.C)
     A reaction: It might be called the Principle of Shortcutting, since you can get straight to the last conclusion, eliminating the intermediate step.
'Negation' says that Γ,¬φ|= iff Γ|=φ [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Principle of Negation says that Γ,¬φ |= iff Γ |= φ. We also say that φ,¬φ |=, and hence by 'thinning on the right' that φ,¬φ |= ψ, which is 'ex falso quodlibet'.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.E)
     A reaction: That is, roughly, if the formula gives consistency, the negation gives contradiction. 'Ex falso' says that anything will follow from a contradiction.
'Conjunction' says that Γ|=φ∧ψ iff Γ|=φ and Γ|=ψ [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Principle of Conjunction says that Γ |= φ∧ψ iff Γ |= φ and Γ |= ψ. This implies φ,ψ |= φ∧ψ, which is ∧-introduction. It is also implies ∧-elimination.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.F)
     A reaction: [Second half is Ex. 2.5.3] That is, if they are entailed separately, they are entailed as a unit. It is a moot point whether these principles are theorems of propositional logic, or derivation rules.
'Disjunction' says that Γ,φ∨ψ|= iff Γ,φ|= and Γ,ψ|= [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Principle of Disjunction says that Γ,φ∨ψ |= iff Γ,φ |= and Γ,ψ |=.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.G)
     A reaction: That is, a disjunction leads to a contradiction if they each separately lead to contradictions.
The 'conditional' is that Γ|=φ→ψ iff Γ,φ|=ψ [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The Conditional Principle says that Γ |= φ→ψ iff Γ,φ |= ψ. With the addition of negation, this implies φ,φ→ψ |= ψ, which is 'modus ponens'.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 2.5.H)
     A reaction: [Second half is in Ex. 2.5.4]