Statements and Negations

Statements and Negations
Elementary logic provides the basic rules for constructing sound,

compelling arguments. The building blocks of logical arguments
are logical statements. A logical statement is a declarative
sentence which conveys factual information. If the information is
correct then we say the statement is true; and if the information
is incorrect, then we say the statement is false.
1. Statements and negations
All logical statements are formed by combining simple statements.

A simple statement is a logical statement carrying one piece
of information.
Example 1. Each of the following is a simple statement:
(1) The United States Post Office delivers mail.
(2) Paris is the capital of Tanzania.
(3) The polynomial x22 − 1 factors as (x − 1)(x + 1).
Statements 1 and 3 are true. Statement 2 is false.
Not all short sentences are simple statements
Example 2.
(1) Close the window. This is a command. It does not convey
information and is not a logical statement.
(2) The United States Congress is doing an excellent job. This
is a statement of opinion, not a logical statement.
The negation of a logical statement is a new logical statement
which says the opposite of the original statement. The statement
not p
1
2
is true exactly when the original statement p is false. To negate a
logical statement means to find the statement’s negation. Various
ways to form the negation of a statement are discussed in the next
example.
Example 3. We could negate the statement

"the sky is blue"
by forming the statement
it is not the case that the sky is blue.
We can negate any statement in this way, but such constructions
are clumsy and sometimes unclear. The negation
"the sky is not blue"
is much clearer.
A statement containing a negative can often be negated by
removing the negative.
Example 4.
(1) The negation of
loitering is not permitted here
is
loitering is permitted here.
(2) The negation of
e-mail is unreliable
is
e-mail is reliable.
When a logical statement is used to say something about a collection of objects, the
statement must be quantified—that is, we
must specify which objects in the collection the statement applies to. The basic
distinctions between applications are reflected in
the words all and some.
If a logical statement applies to all objects in a collection, then
it is called a universally quantified statement. For example,
(1) Every McDonald’s serves french fries.
(2) All math majors study calculus.
A logical statement which applies to some objects in a collection
is called an existentially quantified statement. For example,
(1) Some people attend college.
(2) There are people who believe in UFO’s.
As illustrated above, an existentially quantified statement asserts
that an object of a particular nature exists.
We can contrast universally quantified statements and existentially quantified
statements in the following way.
• Universal quantification—If every object in the collection fits the description, then the
universally qualified statement is true.
• Existential quantification—If the existentially quantified statement accurately
describes at least one object in
the collection, then it is true.
Example 5.
(1) Some people are female. This existentially quantified statement applies to the
collection of people, and states the existence of a person with the property of being
female. It is
clearly a true statement.
(2) All people are female. This universally quantified statement
applied to the collection of people. Since there are people
who are not female, it is a false statement.
(3) Every whole multiple of four is even. This universally quantified statement applies to
the collection of all whole multiples of four. It is true since four is even, and every
multiple of an even number is even.
Example 5. The negation of

All birds can fly
is
Some birds cannot fly.
The negation of a some statement is a for all statement.
There exists an honest man
is
All men are dishonest.
Example 7. Consider the statement
All numbers can be factored.
A universally quantified statement is false if it does not apply to at
least one object in the collection. So the statement is false if some
5
number cannot be factored. We know that 7 cannot be factored
(with factors > 1), so the statement is false. The negation of this
universally quantified statement is
Some numbers cannot be factored.
This existentially quantified statement is true.
2. Combining Logical Statements
We combine logical statements to form new logical statements
by joining them with an and or an or.
and
The statement p and q is true exactly when both p and q are
true.
It is convenient to display this information in the following
chart:
The and Chart:
p q (p and q)
TTT
TFF
FTF
FFF
The chart lists the four possible truth values of the two sentences
p and q:
(1) both are true;
(2) p is true, but q is false
(3) p is false, but q is true
(4) both are false.
In just the first case is the statement p and q true.
6
or
“Or” is used in two different ways in English:
• exclusive use: Tea or Coffee?
• inclusive use: Cream or Sugar?
When you are offered “tea or coffee,” it is assumed that you may
choose one of the two, but not both. On the other hand, when
offered “cream or sugar,” no eyebrows will be raised if you take
them both.
Example 8. Determine whether the following uses of or are inclusive or exclusive.
(1) You can kill a vampire by exposing him to sunlight or driving a wooden stake
through his heart. Suppose you drive a
stake through the heart of a vampire at exactly sunrise? Is
he still dead?
(2) You buy a car with a 3 year or 36,000 mile warranty. If
more than 3 years pass and you drive the car more than
36,000 miles, is the warranty still expired?
(3) A restaurant offers “soup or salad” with their dinner special.
Can you order both?
The first two are examples of the inclusive use or or. The third
is an example of the exclusive use. You won’t get both the soup
and the salad without paying an extra charge.
In logic we always use “or” in the inclusive sense. In other
words, for us or means "and/or".
The or Chart:
p q (p or q)
TTT
TFT
FTT
FFF
The negation of an and statement is an or statement.
Sam likes green eggs and Sam likes ham
is
Sam does not like green eggs or Sam does not like ham.
The negation of an or statement is an and statement.
I am going to the movies on Saturday or Sunday
is
I am not going on Saturday and I am not going on Sunday.
More complicated logical statements may be formed by futher
combining statements already joined by and or or.
Example 11. Interpret the following nonpunctuated statement
was found on a menu.
All dinners include vegetable and soup or salad.
Such a statement can be interpreted in two different ways:
(1) You get the vegetable and you must decide between the
soup or the salad.
(2) You can must decide between the vegetable and soup combination or the salad.

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Statements and Negations

Elementary logic provides the basic rules for constructing sound,

1. Statements and negations

All logical statements are formed by combining simple statements.

Example 3. We could negate the statement

Example 5. The negation of

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