1. Transformations using Logical Equivalence

Transformations using Logical Equivalence

Fundamental Equivalences

Link to original

2. Disjunctive Normal Form

Disjunctive Normal Form

Literal

A literal is a propositional symbol or the negation of a propositional symbol.

For example, or meanwhile or are not since literals may have at most one logical connective and it must be a negation.

Link to original

Disjunctive Normal Form

Disjunctive Normal Form (DNF) is when a formula: ?

Alternatively, you can see it as a disjunction of one or more formulae, each of which is a conjunction of one or more literals.

Link to original

Rewrite Rules

DNF Rewrite Rules

To obtain DNF, we can preform a series of transformations:

Link to original

title: Example 1
Represent $P \land (P \rightarrow Q)$ in DNF.
 
$$
	\begin{aligned}
		P \land (P \rightarrow Q) &\Rightarrow P \land (\neg P \lor Q) \\
		&\Rightarrow (P \land \neg P) \lor (P \land Q) \\
		&\Rightarrow 0 \lor (P \land Q) \\
		&\Rightarrow P \land Q
	\end{aligned}
$$

Truth Table to DNF

Given the truth table for with the models highlighted:

interpretation
000110
001111
010000
011000
100110
101111
110010
111011

We can associate each propositional symbol and interpretation with the literal if makes true or if makes false.

Hence we find that:

  • is associated with
  • is associated with
  • is associated with

So we can now combine these to find the DNF:

Special Cases

These apply to both DNF and CNF.

Any contradictory formula is equivalent to the single conjunction , which can be abbreviated to . Any tautology is equivalent to the single disjunction , which can be abbreviated to .

Link to original

3. Conjunctive Normal Form

Conjunctive Normal Form

Conjunctive Normal Form

Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF) is when a formula: ?

Alternatively, you can see it as a conjunction of one or more formulae, each of which is a disjunction of one or more literals.

Link to original

Rewrite Rules

CNF Rewrite Rules

To obtain CNF, we can perform a series of transformations:

Link to original

Truth Table to CNF

We cannot go directly from a truth table to CNF, as we will end up with DNF. We can use rules such as De Morgan’s Law to fix our formula.

Suppose we are given :

interpretation
001
010
100
111

The highlighted values make the formula false.

So when the formula is true, the formula is false, so we can find when is true when the formula we just found is false.

We can manipulate the formula to find it in CNF.

Link to original