semantics

6/8/07 10Software

Skills to be acquired in this tutorial:

To learn how compound sentences are true or false depending on the truth or falsity of their component sentences.

12/16/20

Indicative sentences in a natural language, English, for instance, are either true or false. For example, 'There are 35 State Governors in the U.S.A.' is an indicative sentence (which happens to be false). 

Indicative sentences can be atomic or compound. 'There are 35 State Governors in the U.S.A.' is an atomic sentence; whereas 'There are 35 State Governors in the U.S.A. and there is one President of the U.S.A. ' expresses a compound sentence composed of two atomic sentences (one false one and one true one).

10/9/26

Welcome!

These web pages provide an introduction to logic to the level of Propositional and Predicate Calculus.

The focus of the program is on arguments and the question of whether they are valid. Arguments have the form <list of premises> ∴<conclusion>. An argument is valid if and only if it is not possible for all its premises to be true and its conclusion false at one and the same time; an argument which is not valid is invalid.

12/24/13

The Tutorial

The semantics of relations proceeds in much the way one would expect-- the new item that has to be taken account of is the order of the terms (because, for example, Tab is not at all the same thing as Tba -- Arthur being taller than Beryl is not the same as Beryl being taller than Arthur).

Let us start with an Interpretation

Interpretation 1

Universe= {a,b}
F={a}

12/25/06

Introduction to Free Variables

This video illustrates use of the downloadable application (and the symbol ∧ for 'and' and (∀x) for the universal quantifier, some systems use (x) for this). But, what the film depicts and explains is equally good if you happen to be using the web pages applets (or different symbols for 'and' and the universal quantifier).

Under revision 2013

The Tutorial

We will certainly wish to discuss the truth and falsity of formulas with quantifiers in them.

Let us start with an Interpretation

Interpretation 1

Universe= {a,b}
F={a}

8/4/13

The Tutorial

A few concepts are needed give a simple portrayal of the truth and falsity of predicate logic formulas.

There is the notion of an Interpretation which consists of a Universe together with an account of how the various symbols in the predicate logic formulas apply in this Universe.

There should be a Universe, which is the collection of the objects that the formulas is about. We write, for example,

Universe = {a,b,c}

Introduction to Semantics

12/25/06

Introduction to Semantics

This video illustrates use of the downloadable application (and the symbol ∧ for 'and'). But, what it depicts and explains is equally good if you happen to be using the web pages applets (or a different symbol for 'and' eg '.').

There are many valid arguments which cannot be shown to be valid using propositional logic alone. For example,

Beryl is a philosopher.
All philosophers are wise.
Therefore
Beryl is wise.