Dayalbagh Educational Institute

Department of Mathematics
Course No: MAM 481, Course Code: Discrete Mathematics
Question Bank (2016-17) REVISED: JAN 2017

UNIT 1

1. Construct a truth table for each of these compound propositions:

a) p →￢q b) ￢p ↔ q c) (p → q) ∨ (￢p → q) d) (p → q) ∧ (￢p → q)
e) (p ↔ q) ∨ (￢p ↔ q) f ) (￢p ↔￢q) ↔ (p ↔ q)

2. Explain, without using a truth table, why (p ∨ q ∨ r) ∧ (￢p ∨￢q ∨￢r) is true when at least one
of p, q, and r is true and at least one is false, but is false when all three variables have the same
truth value.

3. Show that each of these conditional statements is a tautology by using truth tables:
a) [￢p ∧ (p ∨ q)] → q b) [(p → q) ∧ (q → r)] → (p → r)
c) [p ∧ (p → q)] → q d) [(p ∨ q) ∧ (p → r) ∧ (q → r)] → r

4. Show that each conditional statement in the previous exercise is a tautology without using
truth tables.

5. Show that the following are logically equivalent without constructing a truth table
a) (p → q) ∨ (p → r) and p → (q ∨ r) b) (p → r) ∨ (q → r) and (p ∧ q) → r
c) ￢p → (q → r) and q → (p ∨ r) d) ((q ∧ r) → s) ∧ (r → (p ∨ s)) and (r ∧ (p → q)) → s

6. Find formulas in CNF and DNF equivalent to each of the following formulas:
(a) ￢(p ∧ T)
(b) ((p → q) → r) → F
(c) ￢ (p ↔ q) ↔ r
(d) ((p ∨ q) → r) ∧ (r → ￢(p ∨ q))
(e) (￢r) → (((p ∨ q) → r) → ￢q)

7. Translate each of these statements into logical expressions using predicates, quantifiers, and
logical connectives.
a) Something is not in the correct place.
b) All tools are in the correct place and are in excellent condition.
c) Everything is in the correct place and in excellent condition.
d) Nothing is in the correct place and is in excellent condition.
e) One of your tools is not in the correct place, but it is in excellent condition.
8. Translate these specifications into English where F(p) is “Printer p is out of service,” B(p) is
“Printer p is busy,” L(j) is “Print job j is lost,” and Q(j) is “Print job j is queued”
a) ∃p(F(p) ∧ B(p)) → ∃jL(j)
b) ∀pB(p) → ∃jQ(j)
c) ∃j (Q(j) ∧ L(j)) → ∃pF(p)

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d) (∀pB(p) ∧ ∀jQ(j)) → ∃jL(j)

9. Translate these statements into English, where the domain for each variable consists of all real
numbers:
a) ∃x∀y(xy = y)
b) ∀x∀y(((x ≥ 0) ∧ (y < 0)) → (x −y > 0))
c) ∀x∀y∃z(x = y + z)

10. Rewrite each of these statements so that negations appear only within predicates (that is, so
that no negation is outside a quantifier or an expression involving logical connectives):
a) ￢∃y∃xP(x, y) b) ￢∀x∃yP(x, y)
c) ￢∃y(Q(y) ∧ ∀x￢R(x, y))
d) ￢∃y(∃xR(x, y) ∨ ∀xS(x, y))
e) ￢∃y(∀x∃zT (x, y, z) ∨ ∃x∀zU(x, y, z))

11. What rule of inference is used in each of these arguments?

a) Kangaroos live in Australia and are marsupials. Therefore, kangaroos are marsupials.
b) It is either hotter than 100 degrees today or the pollution is dangerous. It is less than 100
degrees outside today. Therefore, the pollution is dangerous.
c) Linda is an excellent swimmer. If Linda is an excellent swimmer, then she can work as a
lifeguard. Therefore, Linda can work as a lifeguard.

12. Show that the argument form with premises p →r, r →s, t∨ ￢ s, ￢ t ∨ u, ￢ u and with
conclusion ￢p is valid.

13. Show the validity of the following argument:

H 1: P  (Q  S ), H 2 : R  P, H 3 : Q, C : R  S

14. Establish validity of the following arguments:

a) H 1: P  Q, H 2 : R  S , H 3 : P  R, C : Q  S
b) H 1: (P  Q)  R, H 2 : R  ( S  T ), H 3 : S  U , H 4 : U  T , C : P

UNIT 2

1. Let A, B be sets with |B|=3. If there are 4096 relations from A to B, then what is | A| ?
2. Let A= {1, 2, 3, 4} and B ={x, y, z}
i. Ho w many functions f: A → B are there?
ii. How many functions f: A → B are one-to-one?
iii. How many functions f: B→ A are there?
iv. How many functions f : B → A are one-to-one?
3. Let X={1, 2, 3, 4} and R:X→X is defined by R={(x,y)|x >y}. Find R and its relational
matrix.
4. Let X={1, 2, …, 10} and R={(x,y)|x-y is divisible by 3}. Show that R is an equivalence
relation. Find equivalence classes and partition of set X.

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5. Let R denote a relation on the set of ordered pairs of positive integers such that (x,y)R(u,v)
iff xv=yu. Show that R is an equivalence relation.
6. Let R={(1,2),(3,4),(2,2)} and S={(4,2),(2,5),(3,1),(1,3)}. Find RoS, SoR, Ro(SoR), (RoS)oR,
RoR, SoS and RoRoR.
7. Let A be the set of positive divisors of 12 and let a relation R on A is defined by xRy if x
exactly divides y is a partial ordering relation on A. Draw the Hasse diagram of it.
8. Let A be a given finite set and P(A) its power set. Let ⊆ be the inclusion relation on the
elements of P(A). Draw Hasse diagram of (P(A),⊆ ) for (i) A = {a} (ii) A={a,b} (iii)
A={a,b,c}.
9. Let X={1,2,3}, Y={p,q} and Z={a,b}. Also let f: X → Y be f = {(1,p), (2,p), (3,q)} and let g
:Y → Z be given by g = {(p,b), (q,b)}. Find gof and gof.
10. Let f: R→R be given by f(x)= -x2 and g: R+→R be given by g(x)=√ x , where R+¿ ¿ is the set of
real numbers. Find fog. Is gof defined?
11. Show that the functions f(x)= x3 and g(x)= x1/3 for x  R are inverse of each other.
12. Define Peano Axioms. Using the principle of mathematical induction, show that
i. n < 2n ii. 2n  n! for n  4 iii. n 3 +2n is divisible by 3
13. Prove each of the following by mathematical induction:
i. 1+2+…+ n=n (n+1)/2
ii. 12 +22+ … n2=n ( n+ 1 ) (2n+ 1)/6

UNIT 3

1. Define semigroup. Show that for the set of positive integers Z, (Z, +) and (Z, ×) are
semigroups.
2. Define monoid. Let A be a non-empty set and P(A) be its power set, then show that (P(A),U)
and (P(A),∩) are monoid with the identities  and A respectively.
3. Define group, order of a group and an abelian group. Let Z be the set of integers, then show
that (Z, +) is an abelian group.
4. Why is the set of integers Z not a group under subtraction?
5. Show that
i. (G,o), where G={1, ω, ω2 } and ‘o’ is the usual multiplication of complex numbers,
is a finite group of order 3.
ii. (G,o), where G={1, -1, i, -i}and ‘o’ is the usual multiplication of complex numbers,
is a finite abelian group of order 4
6. Define subgroup. Show that H={1, -1} is a proper subgroup of the multiplicative group
G={1, -1, i, -i}.
7. Define cyclic groups. Show that the multiplicative group {1, -1, i, -i} is a cyclic group with
generator i.
8. Define normal subgroups. Show that every group G has at least two normal subgroups,
namely {e} and G itself.

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9. Define homomorphism of groups. Also define kernel of a homomorphism.
10. Define lattices as posets. Let A={1, 2, 3}, P(A) be the power set of A and R be the subset
relation on P(A). Show that A is maximal and  is minimal for the poset (P(A), ⊆).
11. Let I+ be the set of all positive integers and let R denote the relation of ‘division’ in I + such
that for any a, b  I+, a R b iff a divides b. Show that (I+, R) is a lattice.
12. A relation R on N defined as xRy implies x≤y, show that (N, R) is a lattice.

UNIT 4

1. Answer the following:

a. Every day a student randomly chooses a sandwich for lunch from a pile of wrapped
sandwiches. If there are six kinds of sandwiches, how many different ways are there for
the student to choose sandwiches for the seven days of a week if the order in which the
sandwiches are chosen matters?
b. How many ways are there to assign three jobs to five employees if each employee can be
given more than one job?
c. How many ways are there to select five unordered elements from a set with three
elements when repetition is allowed?
d. How many ways are there to select three unordered elements from a set with five
elements when repetition is allowed?
2. A bakery sells six different kinds of pastry. If the bakery has at least a dozen of each kind,
how many different options for a dozen of pastries are there? What if a box is to contain at
least one of each kind of pastry?
3. A football team of 11 players is to be selected from a set of 15 players, 5 of whom can play
only in the backfield, 8 of whom can play only on the line, and 2 of whom can play either in
the backfield or on the line. Assuming a football team has 7 men on the line and 4 men in the
backfield, determine the number of football teams possible.
4. How many integers greater than 5400 have both of the following properties?
(a) The digits are distinct.
(b) The digits 2 and 7 do not occur.
5. How many solutions are there to the equation x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 = 19, where xi , i = 1, 2, 3, 4, is
a nonnegative integer such that
a) xi ≥ 0 for i = 1, 2, 3, 4?
b) 0 ≤ x1 ≤ 8
6. Determine the number of integer solutions for x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 + x5 + x6 <10, where xi ≥ 0 for
i = 1, 2,…,6.
7. Determine the number of positive integers n, 1 ≤ n ≤ 2000, that are
a. Not divisible by 2, 3, or 5
b. Not divisible by 2, 3, 5 and 7
c. Not divisible by 2, 3, 5, but are divisible by 7.
8. In how many ways can letters 5 a’s, 4 b’s and 3 c’s be arranged so that all the letters of the
same kind are not in a single block?
9. How many ways are there to place 12 marbles of the same size in five distinct jars if (a) the
marbles are all black? (b) each marble is of a different color?

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10. a. What is the coefficient of x7 in (1 + x)11?
b. What is the coefficient of x9 in (2 − x)19?
c. What is the coefficient of x8y9 in the expansion of (3x + 2y)17?

UNIT 5

0 0n2 3  2n 0  n 1
an    n bn  
1. If 2  5 n3 and n  2 n2 then find the sum and
product of the two functions.
1 0  n  10
an  
2. For DNF 2 n  11 , find S 5 an and S 7 an .

2  3z  6 z 2
A( z )  .
3. Obtain DNF an from the generating function 1 2z
4. A ball is dropped to a floor from a height of 20m. Suppose that the ball always rebounds to
reach half of the height from which it falls.
i. Let an denote the height it reaches in the nth rebound. Construct DNF.
ii. Let bn denote the loss in height during the nth rebound. Express bn in terms of an . Also
construct its DNF.
5. Find the generating function for each of the following sequences:
i. 1, -1, 1, -1, 1, -1, …….
ii. 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, …….
iii. 0, 6, -6, 6, -6, 6,…….
8 , 8 , 8 ,… 8
iv. ( )( )( ) ( )
0 1 2 8
6. Determine the sequence generated by each of the following generating functions:
1
f ( z) 
1. 3 z
z4
f (z) 
2. 1 z
1
f (z) 
3. 1  3z
7. There are 3 pegs on n circular disks of increasing diameter on one peg, with the largest disk
on the bottom. These disks are to be transferred one at a time onto another peg with the
provision that at no time is one allowed to put a larger disk on one with smaller diameter.
Establish the required recurrence relation and also find its solution.
8. Establish recurrence relation for the Fibonacci sequence and find its solution.
9. Solve the following recurrence relations by substitution method:
(i) an  an 1  n, a0  2

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 (ii) an  an 1  3 , a0  1
n

10. Solve the following recurrence relations using generating functions:

(i) an  7an 1  10an  2  0, n  2, a0  10, a1  41
(ii) an  9an 1  26an  2  24an3  0, n  3, a0  0, a1  1, a2  10
(iii) an  2an 1  an  2  0, n  2, a0  2, a1  1
11. Solve the following recurrence relations by characteristic root method:
(i) an  5an 1  6an  2  0, n  2, a0  2, a1  5
(ii) an  7an 1  16an 2  12an 3  0, n  3, a0  1, a1  4, a2  8
(iii) an  an 1  an  2 , n  2, a0  0, a1  1
12. Find particular solutions of the following recurrence relations:
(i) an  7an 1  10an  2  7(3 ), n  2
n

(ii) an  7an 1  10an  2  7(3 )  4 , n  2

n n

(iii) an  an 1  3n 2 , n  1
n

(iv) an  4an 1  4an  2  (n  1)2 , n  2

n

(v) an  5an1  6an  2  2  n, n  2

n

13. Find total solution of the following recurrence relations by the method of generating
functions:
(i) an  3an 1  2, n  1, a0  1
(ii) an  5an 1  6an  2  2  n, n  2, a0  1, a1  1
n

a  an 1  an  2 , n  2, a0  1, a1  1.
(iii) n