Operator precedence - Discrete Math. forall x in S, exists y in T, P(x, y) Rightarrow Q(x). (Statement 1) forall x in S, (exists y in T, P(x, y)) Rightarrow Q(x) (Statement 2)

yamyekay3

yamyekay3

Answered question

2022-09-06

Operator precedence - Discrete Math
Can someone please give me a hint as to how these two statements are different? Thank you!
x S , y T , P ( x , y ) Q ( x ) (Statement 1)
x S , ( y T , P ( x , y ) ) Q ( x ) (Statement 2)

Answer & Explanation

Ashlynn Cox

Ashlynn Cox

Beginner2022-09-07Added 12 answers

Step 1
Let's consider a concrete case S = T = R , P(x,y) is x y = 0 and Q(x) is x = 0.
Then statement 1 says: for any number x, I can find a test number y such that if x y = 0 then actually x = 0. This is true: take y = 1.
Step 2
Statement 2 says: for any number x, if I can find a number y such that x y = 0, then actually x must be 0. This is false, since for any x I can always take y = 0, and then x y = 0 but x may be nonzero.
Jovany Newman

Jovany Newman

Beginner2022-09-08Added 10 answers

Step 1
Statement 1 is x S   ( y T   ( P ( x , y ) Q ( x ) ) ) and the conditional is inside the scope of the second universal quantifier.
Statement 2 is x S   ( ( y T   P ( x , y ) ) Q ( x ) ) and here the second universal quantifier is inside the antecedent of the conditional.
Step 2
Now, recall that a conditional is satisfied if the consequent is satisfied or the antecedent is unsatisfied.
y   ( P ( x , y ) Q ( x ) ) is satisfied if Q(x) is satisfied or P(x,y) is unsatisfied by every y.
( y   P ( x , y ) ) Q ( x ) is satisfied if Q(x) is satisfied or P(x,y) is unsatisfied by some y.

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