Math Problem Statement

prove it that conditional statement is logically equivalent to contrapositive statement

Solution

To prove that a conditional statement is logically equivalent to its contrapositive, let's break down both statements clearly and show how they are related.

1. Conditional Statement:

A conditional statement is of the form:

P    QP \implies Q

This means "if P, then Q." In other words, if the proposition PP is true, then QQ must also be true.

2. Contrapositive Statement:

The contrapositive of a conditional statement P    QP \implies Q is the statement:

¬Q    ¬P\neg Q \implies \neg P

This means "if not Q, then not P." In other words, if QQ is false, then PP must also be false.

3. Logical Equivalence:

To show that P    QP \implies Q is logically equivalent to ¬Q    ¬P\neg Q \implies \neg P, we need to demonstrate that both statements have the same truth value for all possible truth values of PP and QQ.

Truth Tables for P    QP \implies Q and ¬Q    ¬P\neg Q \implies \neg P:

PPQQP    QP \implies Q¬Q\neg Q¬P\neg P¬Q    ¬P\neg Q \implies \neg P
TTTFFT
TFFTFF
FTTFTT
FFTTTT
  • P    QP \implies Q is true in all cases except when PP is true and QQ is false.
  • ¬Q    ¬P\neg Q \implies \neg P is true in all cases except when ¬Q\neg Q is true (meaning QQ is false) and ¬P\neg P is false (meaning PP is true).

From the table, we see that both P    QP \implies Q and ¬Q    ¬P\neg Q \implies \neg P have the same truth values for all possible combinations of PP and QQ. Therefore, we conclude that the conditional statement is logically equivalent to its contrapositive.


Would you like further clarification on any step or examples? Here are some follow-up questions to explore:

  1. What is the difference between a converse and a contrapositive?
  2. How do logical equivalences apply to proofs and mathematical reasoning?
  3. What is the truth table for the converse of a conditional statement?
  4. How does the contrapositive play a role in proof by contradiction?
  5. Can you explain other common logical equivalences with truth tables?

Tip: A helpful mnemonic for remembering the contrapositive is: "Flip and negate" — flip the positions of the terms in the conditional and negate both of them!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Logic
Conditional Statements
Contrapositive

Formulas

P ⇒ Q
¬Q ⇒ ¬P

Theorems

Logical Equivalence
Contrapositive Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12