• Hulkenberg
    3
    Hello guys, does anyone of you know how to transfor these premises and conclusion into propositional logic? Thank you

    P1: TWA 800 was either shot down, bombed by terrorists, or it suffered from mechanical failure.
    P2: TWA 800 was not bombed by terrorists.
    P3: TWA 800 did not suffer from mechanical failure.
    _________________________________
    C: Therefore, TWA 800 was shot down.
  • Pfhorrest
    4.6k
    That looks like propositional logic already.
  • aletheist
    1.5k
    A = TWA 800 was shot down
    B = TWA 800 was bombed by terrorists
    C = TWA 800 suffered from mechanical failure

    P1: A or B or C
    P2: not B
    P3: not C
    C: therefore, A
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    P1: TWA 800 was either shot down, bombed by terrorists, or it suffered from mechanical failure.
    P2: TWA 800 was not bombed by terrorists.
    P3: TWA 800 did not suffer from mechanical failure.
    _________________________________
    C: Therefore, TWA 800 was shot down.
    Hulkenberg

    S = TWA 800 was shot down
    B = TWA 800 was bombed
    M = TWA 800 suffered from a mechanical failure

    1. (S v B) v M...............premise
    2. ~B................................premise
    3. ~M................................premise
    4. S v B..........................1, 3 Disjunctive Syllogism
    5. S.................................2, 4 Disjunctive Syllogism
    QED
  • Hulkenberg
    3


    Thank you very much for your help. Is there any difference in using symbols? Instead of S, B, M may I use A, B, C?
  • jkg20
    405
    By tradition propositions are represented with "P", "Q", "R" ... but it really does not matter what you choose as long as you stick with the same choice all the way through the analysis of the argument.
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    Thank you very much for your help. Is there any difference in using symbols? Instead of S, B, M may I use A, B, C?Hulkenberg

    You may use any symbol you like but a good practice is to use the first letter of the critical word in the sentence for easy recall and to help you keep track of the argument's flow; hence B = bombed, S = shot down and M = mechanical failure
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