Universal Instantiation Universal Instantiation

Universal Instantiation

If something holds true for all elements in a set then it also holds true for each element in that set

aa=a2a \cdot a=a^2

Another example,

  1. All math teachers are old
  2. Joe is a math teacher
  3. \therefore Joe is old

Universal Modus Ponens

Recall Modus Ponens, now suppose we have

  1. x\forall x, if P(x)P(x) then Q(x)Q(x)
  2. P(a)P(a) for a particular aa
  3. \therefore Q(a)

This is Universal Modus Ponens

Example,

  1. if an integers is even, then its square is also even
  2. kk is a particular integer that is even
  3. k2\therefore k^2 is also even

Can also be expressed as:

  1. aϵZ\forall a \epsilon \mathbb Z, if aϵ2Za \epsilon 2\mathbb Z, where 2Z2\mathbb Z represents even integers, then a2ϵZa^2\epsilon \mathbb Z
  2. kϵ2Zk\epsilon 2\mathbb Z
  3. k2ϵ2Z\therefore k^2\epsilon 2\mathbb Z

Universal Modus Tollens

Recall Modus Tollens

  1. x\forall x, if P(x)P(x) then Q(x)Q(x)

  2. ¬Q(a)\neg Q(a) for a particular aa

  3. ¬P(a)\therefore \neg P(a)

  4. All math teachers are old: m,m(x)    old\forall m, m(x) \implies old

  5. Joe is old: oldold

  6. Joe is a math teacher: m\therefore m, this is a converse error

Ultimately, this is the breakdown:

  • We said that all math teachers are a subset of old set
  • Since Joe is old, he is part of the math teacher subset
  • But this is wrong, Joes can be inside old set, but outside of math subset This is Universal Modus Tollens

For this, Venn Diagrams are useful to prove whether arguments are valid or not by analyzing the sets they are a part of. We can then construct the counterexamples to prove out argument

  1. If an infinite series converges then the terms go zero
  2. This infinite series does not converge
  3. \therefore The terms do not go to zero

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