BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

MMW 101
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Module 6
Truth Values and Truth Tables
“Achieving Universal Understanding and
Peace Through the Language of
Mathematics”
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Truth Values and Truth Tables

Objectives of the Module
At the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. construct truth tables of compound propositions, and
2. determine whether the proposition is a tautology, a contingency or a
contradiction

Let us define truth value and truth table.

The truth value

• of a simple statement is either true (T) or false (F)
• of a compound statement depends on the truth values of its simple statements
and its connectives.

A truth table is a table that shows the truth values of a compound statement
for all possible truth values of its simple statements.

Note: 1. The Truth Table of one simple statement consists of two rows showing
the possible truth values of the given statement.

Truth
Table
(Assertion)
p
T
F

Note: 2. The Truth Table of a compound statement containing two simple

statements starts with two columns of four rows showing the truth
values of every possible combination of the two given statements. The
third column shows the truth values of the given compound statement
and their connectives in all possible cases. This table is the so-called
standard truth table form.

Truth Table
Truth Value of the
p q
compound statement
T T
T F
F T
F F
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Study the following truth tables.

Negation:
Truth Table If a statement is true, its negation is
p ~p false.
T F If a statement is false, its negation is
F T true.
Conjunction:
Truth Table
p q p∧q
T T T The conjunction p ∧ q is TRUE when
T F F both p and q are true.
F T F
F F F

Disjunction:
Truth Table
p q p∨q
The disjunction p ∨ q is TRUE if at
T T T
least one of them (either p or q) is
T F T
true.
F T T
F F F

Conditional:
Truth Table
p q p→q
The conditional p → q is FALSE
T T T
when p is true, and q is false. It is
T F F
true in all other cases.
F T T
F F T

Biconditional:
Truth Table
p q p↔q
The biconditional p ↔ q is TRUE
T T T
when p and q have the same truth
T F F
values.
F T F
F F T

Let us determine the truth values of the following compound statements.

1. Five is an even integer and four is an odd number.

F ∧ F F ∧F
F F
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2. Sampaguita is our national flower or Narra is a vegetable.

T ∨ F
T ∨F
T
T

3. If California is a continent, then the Philippines is a province.

F → F
F→F
T
T
4. Five is a factor of 10 if and only if 10 is a multiple of 100.
T ↔ F
F T↔ F
F

Try this!

Given the following propositions with their corresponding truth values, what is
the truth value of the statement "Archie has fever and he has difficulty in breathing,
but he is infected with COVID 19".

p: Archie has fever. (T)

q: Archie has difficulty in breathing. (F)
r: Archie is not infected with COVID 19. (T)

Constructing Truth Tables

Now let us try to construct a truth table. Follow the steps, as shown in the
examples that follow.

Examples:
1. Construct the truth table for the compound statement (p ∨ q) ∧ ~ p.

Solution:
Step 1: Start with the standard truth table form.
Step 2: Write the truth values of the disjunction p ∨ q on a new column.
Step 3: Negate p, then write the results on the next column.
Step 4: Using the truth values of p ∨ q (in step 2) and ~p (in step 3),
determine the truth values of (p ∨ q) ∧ ~p. Write the results in the last column.

p q p∨q ~p (p ∨ q) ∧ ~p
T T T F F
T F T F F
F T T T T
F F F T F
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2. Construct the truth table for the compound statement (p → q) ↔ (~q ∨ ~p).

Solution:
Step 1: Start with the standard truth table form.
Step 2: Negate p and then write the results on a new column.
Step 3: Negate q and then write the truth values in the next column.
Step 4: Write the truth values of the conditional p → q on another column.
Step 5: Using the truth values from the negation of p (in step 2) and the negation
of q (in step 3), determine the truth values of ~q ∨ ~p.
Step 6: Using the truth values of p → q (in step 4) and ~q ∨ ~p (in step 5), write
the truth values of (p → q) ↔ (~q ∨ ~p) in the last column.

p q ~p ~q p→q ~q ∨ ~p (p → q) ↔ (~q ∨ ~p)

T T F F T F F
T F F T F T F
F T T F T T T
F F T T T T T

Try this!

Construct a truth table for the compound proposition (p → ~q) ↔ (~p ∨ q).

Tautology, Contradiction, and Contingency

A tautology is a proposition where the truth values are always true in all
possible cases.

A contradiction is a proposition where the truth values are always false in all
possible cases.

A contingency is a proposition where the truth values are not always true nor
always false.

Examples:
1. Show that ~p ∨ (~q → p) is a tautology.
Solution:
Step 1: Start with the standard truth table form.
Step 2: Negate p and then write the results on a new column.
Step 3: Negate q and then write the truth values on another column.
Step 4: Using the truth values from the negation of q (in step 3) and p (in step
1), determine the truth values of ~q → p.
Step 5: Using the truth values of the negation of p (in step 2) and ~q →p (in
step 4), find the truth values of the disjunction ~p ∨ (~q → p). Write the
results in the last column.
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p q ~p ~q ~q → p ~p ∨ (~q → p)
T T F F T T
T F F T T T
F T T F T T
F F T T F T

It shows that the truth values of ~p ∨ (~q → p) are always true.

Thus, ~p ∨ (~q → p) is a tautology.

2. Is the proposition p ∧ (p → ~p) a tautology, a contradiction, or a

contingency?
Look at the table below.

p ~p p → ~p p ∧ (p → ~p)
T F F F
F T T F

Since the truth values of p ∧ (p → ~p) are always false, then it is a contradiction.

3. Is (p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q) a tautology, a contradiction, or a contingency?

p q ~q p ∧ ~q p∨q (p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q)
T T F F T F
T F T T T T
F T F F T F
F F T F F F

Since the truth values of (p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q) are not always true nor always false,
then (p ∧ ~q) ∧ (p ∨ q) is a contingency.

Try this!

Tell whether the proposition (q ∨ ~p) →p is a tautology, a contradiction, or a

contingency.
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References

Aufmann, R.N., et. Al. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World (14th ed.). Sampaloc,
Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Baltazar, E., Ragasa, C., & Evangelista, J. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World.
Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Earnheart, R. and Adina, E. (2018). Math in the Modern World. Quezon City : C &E
Publishing, Inc.

Malang, P., Malang, B., & Tiongson, I. (2011). Discrete Structure. San Rafael, Bulacan
: HFM Publishing.

Rosen, K.H. (1988). Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications. New York : The
Random House.

Simpson, A. (2002). Discrete Mathematics by Example. United Kingdom : McGraw-

Hill Education.