Are these two statements equivalent? Express the statement that no one has more than three grandmothers. G(x, y) : x is the grandmother of y ∃y((∃a∃b∃c∃d,(G(a,y)∧G(b,y)∧G(c,y)∧G(d,y)))→(a=b ∨a=b ∨a=c ∨a=d ∨b=c ∨b=d ∨c=d))

batystowy2b

batystowy2b

Answered question

2022-09-07

Are these two statements equivalent?
Express the statement that no one has more than three grandmothers.
G(x, y) : x is the grandmother of y
y ( ( a b c d , ( G ( a , y ) G ( b , y ) G ( c , y ) G ( d , y ) ) ) ( a = b   a = b   a = c   a = d   b = c   b = d   c = d ) )
This is my solution. What I am trying to say is that if there exists a person y (anyone) who has four grandmothers then at least two of those grandmothers must be the same.
Is this correct?
The books solution is this:
y ( ¬ a b c d , ( a b   a b   a c   a d   b c   b d   c d ( G ( a , y ) G ( b , y ) G ( c , y ) G ( d , y ) )
I am thinking this means: For all persons y, there does not exist four different people each of whom is the grandmother of y.
It seems as if mine is simple the negation of his statement, where
¬ p q = ¬ q p

Answer & Explanation

Phoenix Burch

Phoenix Burch

Beginner2022-09-08Added 11 answers

Step 1
Your quantifiers aren’t quite right for what you’re trying to say. You can see that there’s a problem if you notice that the a,b,c, and d to the right of the implication are not within the scopes of the corresponding quantifiers. Also, starting with y means that even if the rest were correct, you’d only be saying that there is at least one person who has no more than three grandmothers. What you were trying for, I think, is this version:
y a b c d ( ( G ( a , y ) G ( b , y ) G ( c , y ) G ( d , y ) ) φ ) ,
Step 2
where φ is
a = b a = c a = d b = c b = d c = d .
This is logically equivalent to the book’s answer.

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