Algebra of Statements: Mathematical Reasoning

Algebra of Statements: Mathematical Reasoning

Komal MiglaniUpdated on 02 Jul 2025, 08:08 PM IST

In mathematical logic, the algebra of statements (or propositional calculus) is a branch of algebra that deals with the manipulation and transformation of logical statements. This system is based on various logical operators and rules, which help in the formation and simplification of complex logical expressions. This concept in used in various fields like engineering, physics etc.

This Story also Contains

  1. Mathematical Statement
  2. Logical Connectives
  3. Solved Examples Based on Algebra of Statements:
Algebra of Statements: Mathematical Reasoning
Algebra of Statements: Mathematical Reasoning

This article is about the algebra of statements which falls under the category of Discrete Mathematics. This concept is not only important for board exams but also for competitive exams.

Mathematical Statement

A mathematical statement is the basic unit of any mathematical reasoning. A sentence is called a mathematical statement if it is either true or false but not both.

Logical Connectives

The words which combine or change simple statements to form new statements or compound statements are called Connectives. The basic connectives (logical) conjunction corresponds to the English word ‘and’, disjunction corresponds to the word ‘or’, and negation corresponds to the word ‘not’.

Name of Connective

Connective Word

Symbol

Conjunction

And

Disjunction

Or

Negation

Not

Conditional

‘if-then' or 'implication'

➝ or ⇒

Biconditional

‘If and only if' or 'double implication'

↔️ or ⇔



Algebra of Statements

Idempotent Law

  1. $p ∨ p ≡ p$

  2. $p ∧ p ≡ p$

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|}
\hline
\;\;\; p \;\;\; & \;\;\; p \vee p \;\;\; & \;\;\; p \wedge p \;\;\; \\
\hline \hline
\mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} \\
\hline
\mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Associative Law

  1. $( p ∨ q ) ∨ r ≡ p ∨ (q ∨ r )$

  2. $( p ∧ q ) ∧ r ≡ p ∧ (q ∧ r )$

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$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
{p} & {q} & {r} & {p} \vee {q} & {q} \vee {r} & ({p} \vee {q}) \vee {r} & {p} \vee({q} \vee {r}) \\
\hline
T & T & T & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & T & F & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & F & T & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & F & F & T & F & T & T \\
\hline
F & T & T & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
F & T & F & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
F & F & T & F & T & T & T \\
\hline
F & F & F & F & F & F & F \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Distributive Law

  1. $p ∧ (q ∨ r ) ≡ ( p ∧ q ) ∨ ( p ∧ r ) $

  2. $p ∨ (q ∧ r ) ≡ ( p ∨ q ) ∧ ( p ∨ r ) $

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
{p} & {q} & {r} & {q} \wedge {r} & {p} \vee({q} \wedge {r}) & {p} \vee {q} & {p} \vee {r} & ({p} \vee {q}) \wedge({p} \vee {r}) \\
\hline
T & T & T & T & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & T & F & F & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & F & T & F & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & F & F & F & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
F & T & T & T & T & T & T & T \\
\hline
F & T & F & F & F & T & F & F \\
\hline
F & F & T & F & F & F & T & F \\
\hline
F & F & F & F & F & F & F & F \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Commutative Law

  1. $p ∨ q ≡ q ∨ p$

  2. $p ∧ q ≡ q ∧ p$

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
{p} & {q} & {p} \vee {q} & {q} \vee {p} \\
\hline
T & T & T & T \\
\hline
T & F & T & T \\
\hline
F & T & T & T \\
\hline
F & F & F & F \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Identity Law

  1. $p ∧ T ≡ p$

  2. $p ∧ F ≡ F$

  3. $p ∨ T ≡ T$

  4. $p ∨ F ≡ p$

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
{p} & \mathbb{T} & \mathbb{F} & {p} \vee \mathbb{T} & {p} \vee \mathbb{F} \\
\hline
T & T & F & T & T \\
\hline
F & T & F & T & F \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Complement Law

  1. $p ∨ ~p ≡ T$

  2. $p ∧ ~p ≡ F$

  3. $\sim (\sim p) ≡ p$

  4. $~T ≡ F$

  5. $~F ≡ T$

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
{p} & \neg {p} & \mathbb{T} & \neg \mathbb{T} & \mathbb{F} & \neg \mathbb{F} & {p} \vee \neg {p} & {p} \wedge \neg {p} \\
\hline
T & F & T & F & F & T & T & F \\
\hline
F & T & T & F & F & T & T & F \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

De-Morgan’s Law

  1. $~ ( p ∨ q ) ≡ ~p ∧ ~q$

  2. $~ ( p ∧ q ) ≡ ~p ∨ ~q$

Truth table for $~ ( p ∨ q ) and ~p ∧ ~q$

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
p & q & \sim p & \sim q & p \vee q & \sim (p \vee q) & \sim p \wedge \sim q \\
\hline \hline
\mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} \\
\hline
\mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} \\
\hline
\mathrm{F} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} \\
\hline
\mathrm{F} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{F} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Truth table for $~(p∧q)$ and $~p∨~q$

$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline p & q & p \wedge q & \sim(p \wedge q) & \sim p \vee \sim q & \sim(p \wedge q) \equiv \sim p \vee \sim q \\
\hline T & T & T & F & F & T \\
T & F & F & T & T & T \\
F & T & F & T & T & T \\
F & F & F & T & T & T \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

Solved Examples Based on Algebra of Statements:

Example 1: In each question below, a passage followed by several inferences. you have to example each inference separately in the context of the passage and decide upon its degree of truth or falsity.

Corel Draw and Photoshop are the old software used for designing purposes in industries, Adobe illustrator and InDesign are the new ones, but even today Corel and Photoshop are mostly used in industries. These are designing software that are mostly used in Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing is a technique used for advertising on the web, like Facebook marketing, Instagram and E-mail marketing etc. Now these techniques are used by approximately $70 %$ of companies to generate leads for their business. By $2022$ there may be the end of traditional marketing strategies. With the coming of the Internet in India in $1991$ the scene of marketing is dramatically changed. In India, only $35 %$ population is active on the internet.

The government is not doing anything for developing industries in India.

1) if the inference is "" probably true"" though not definitely true in the light of the facts given

2) if the inference is "" definitely true "" it directly follows from the facts given in the passage

3) if you think the data is inadequate, from the facts given you cannot say whether the inference is likely to be true or false

4) if you think the inference is "" probably false "" though not definitely false in the light of the facts given

Solution

Government role is not defined in the passage.

Example 2: Which one is NOT an example of an AND conjunction?

1) $p: x+y=3$ and $x-y=1$
2) $q$: $x^2-4>0$ and $y^2-3<0$
3) $r$: Sam opened the closet and took out clothes
4) $s$ : Delhi in India and Mumbai is in Europe

Solution

'And' Conjunction -

Normally the conjunction 'and' is used between two statements which have some kind of relation but in logic, it can be used even if there is no relation between the statements.

Here , "and " is used in a different sense

Example 3: Which of the following statement is true?

1) $x^2+x+1<0 \forall x \in R$ and $2 x^2+3 x+4>0 \forall x \in R$
2) $x^2-x+3<0 \forall x \in R$ and $x^2+x+1>0 \forall x \in R$
3) $x^2+x+1<0 \forall x \in R$ and $x^2-x+3<0 \forall x \in R$
4) None of these

Solution
Truth value of "And" Conjunction -
The statement $p \wedge q$ has the truth value $T$ whenever both $p$ and $q$ have the truth value $T$.

A compound statement $\mathrm{p} {\wedge} \mathrm{q}$ is the when both p and q are true .

Example 4: The logical statement $[\sim(\sim p \vee q) \vee(p \wedge r)] \wedge(\sim q \wedge r)$ is equivalent to :
1) $(\sim p \wedge \sim q) \wedge r$
2) $(p \wedge \sim q) \vee r$
3) $\sim p \vee r$
4) $(p \wedge r) \wedge \sim q$

Solution

$
\begin{aligned}
& p=\{1,2,5,6\} \quad q=\{2,3,4,5\} \quad r=\{4,5,6,7\} \\
& \sim p=\{3,4,7,8\} \quad \sim q=\{1,6,7,8\} \quad \sim r=\{1,2,3,8\} \\
& {[\sim(\sim p \vee q) \vee(p \wedge r)] \wedge(\sim q \wedge r)} \\
& {[\sim(\{3,4,7,8\} \vee\{2,3,4,5\}) \vee(\{1,2,5,6\} \wedge\{4,5,6,7\})] \wedge(\{1,6,7,8\}} \\
& {[\sim(\{2,3,4,5,7,8\}) \vee\{5,6\}] \wedge\{6,7\}} \\
& {[\{1,6\} \vee\{5,6\}] \wedge\{6,7\}} \\
& \{1,5,6\} \wedge\{6,7\} \\
& \{6\}
\end{aligned}
$

Now check which option gives the same region
Option A

$
\begin{aligned}
& (\sim p \wedge \sim q) \wedge r \\
& \{7,8\} \wedge\{4,5,6,7\}=\{7\}
\end{aligned}
$

Incorrect

Option B

$
\begin{aligned}
& (p \wedge \sim q) \vee r \\
& \{1,6\} \vee\{4,5,6,7\}=\{1,4,5,6,7\}
\end{aligned}
$

Incorrect

Option C

$\begin{aligned}
& \sim p \vee r \\
& \{3,4,7,8\} \vee\{4,5,6,7\}=\{3,4,5,6,7,8\}
\end{aligned}
$

Incorrect

Option D

$
\begin{aligned}
& (p \wedge r) \wedge \sim q \\
& \{5,6\} \wedge\{1,6,7,8\}=\{6\}
\end{aligned}
$

Correct

Example 5: Which of the following is not a disjunction?
1) $3 \times 3=10$ or $7 \times 5=28$
2) $\sin x>1$ and $\cos x<1$
3) $1+2=3$ or $3+5=8$
4) All are disjunctions

Solution

Disjunction 'OR' -

Two statements can be connected by the word "OR" to form a compound statement called the disjunction of original statements.

We use AND is conjunction and OR is a disjunction

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How does the concept of logical atomism relate to statement algebra?
A:
Logical atomism is the view that the world consists of independent atomic facts that can be represente
Q: What is the role of truth-functional completeness in statement algebra?
A:
Truth-functional completeness refers to the ability of a set of logical connectives to express all possible truth functions. A set of connectives is truth-functionally complete if any truth function can be expressed using only those connectives. For example, {AND, NOT} is complete, as is {OR, NOT}. Understanding completeness is crucial for determining the expressive power of a logical system.
Q: How does the concept of logical consequence relate to implication in statement algebra?
A:
Logical consequence is a relationship between statements where one statement (the conclusion) must be true if certain other statements (the premises) are true. In statement algebra, if p₁, p₂, ..., pₙ are premises and q is a conclusion, q is a logical consequence of the premises if (p₁ ∧ p₂ ∧ ... ∧ pₙ) → q is a tautology.
Q: What is the significance of the material conditional paradox in statement algebra?
A:
The material conditional paradox refers to the counterintuitive nature of the → operator, where p → q is true whenever p is false, regardless of q. This leads to true statements like "If the moon is made of cheese, then 2+2=4." Understanding this paradox is crucial for correctly interpreting and applying implications in formal logic.
Q: How does the concept of logical independence relate to the completeness of a set of connectives?
A:
A set of logical connectives is complete if every possible truth function can be expressed using only those connectives. For example, {AND, NOT} and {OR, NOT} are complete sets, while {AND, OR} is not. Understanding completeness helps in determining whether a given set of connectives is sufficient for expressing all possible logical relationships.
Q: What is the role of truth-preserving transformations in statement algebra?
A:
Truth-preserving transformations are operations that maintain the truth value of a logical expression while changing its form. These include applying laws like De Morgan's laws, distribution, or substituting logically equivalent sub-expressions. Such transformations are crucial for simplifying complex logical statements and for proving logical equivalences.
Q: What is the significance of the empty truth table in statement algebra?
A:
An empty truth table, where no combination of truth values makes a statement true, represents a contradiction. Contradictions are always false, regardless of the truth values of their components. Recognizing contradictions is crucial for identifying logical inconsistencies and invalid arguments.
Q: How does the concept of logical validity relate to tautologies in statement algebra?
A:
A logical argument is valid if its conclusion necessarily follows from its premises. In statement algebra, this corresponds to a tautology. If we represent an argument as (p₁ ∧ p₂ ∧ ... ∧ pₙ) → q, where p₁ to pₙ are premises and q is the conclusion, the argument is valid if and only if this implication is a tautology.
Q: How does the concept of logical consistency apply to a set of statements?
A:
A set of statements is logically consistent if it's possible for all the statements to be true simultaneously. If a set of statements leads to a contradiction when assumed to be true, it's inconsistent. Checking for consistency is important in constructing valid arguments and in identifying contradictions in complex logical systems.
Q: What is the role of truth-functional connectives in statement algebra?
A:
Truth-functional connectives are logical operators whose output truth value depends solely on the truth values of their inputs, not on the meaning of the statements. AND, OR, NOT, IMPLIES, and IF AND ONLY IF are all truth-functional. These connectives allow us to build complex statements from simpler ones in a way that preserves logical structure.