Tautologies, Contradictions and Contingencies
Objectives:
At the end of the lessons, students are expected/should be able to;
1. Construct Truth Value.
2. Differentiate Tautology, Contradiction or Contingency.
3. Identify if the given Compound Preposition is Tautology, Contradiction or
Contingency.
TAUTOLOGY – Compound Preposition which is always true no matter what the truth
values of the prepositions.
Example 1
Let’s consider this one particular preposition
p ̴p p˅̴p
T F T
F T T
We know that there are two possible truth values for the particular preposition that is
TRUE or FALSE.
Considering the Compound Preposition p or not p (p ˅ ̴ p).
What is the output of this Compound Preposition?
Disjunction means whenever we have one true value, the results will always be true.
The given compound preposition is always true; therefore, (p ˅ ̴ p) compound
preposition is a TAUTOLOGY.
CONTRADICTION – Compound Preposition which is always false no matter what
the truth values of the preposition.
Example 2
Let’s consider this one particular preposition
p ̴p p˄̴p
T F F
F T F
Instead of “or” we can place “and” so the result is always FALSE.
Conjunction means whenever we have one false value, the result will always be
false.
The given compound preposition is always false; therefore, (p ˄ ̴ p) compound
preposition is a CONTRADITION.
CONTINGENCY – Compound Preposition which is sometimes true and sometimes
false.
Example 3
Suppose we have two prepositions p and q and a compound preposition p˄q.
p q p˄q
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F F
The truth value of the compound preposition is TRUE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, it is
sometimes true and sometimes false. Hence, the compound preposition is a
CONTINGENCY.
A compound preposition is satifiable if there is at least one true result in its truth
table.
The given compound preposition (p ˄ q) is SATISFIABLE because it contains at
least one true result in the table. Also, we can say that TAUTOLOGY is always
Satisfiable.
A compound preposition is unsatifiable if there is no true result in its truth table.
We can say that CONTRADICTION is always Unsatisfiable.
A compound preposition is Valid when it is a Tautology.
A compound preposition is Invalid when it is either a Contradiction or
Contingency.
Reminders:
● Tautology is always satisfiable but satisfiable is not always Tautology.
TAUTOLOGY CONTRADICTION CONTINGENCY
● Invalid not only mean a compound preposition is always false, if a compound
Sometimes TRUE or
preposition
Alwaysis TRUE
sometimes true andAlways
sometimes
FALSEfalse then it is said to be invalid.
FALSE
Satisfiable Unsatisfiable Satisfiable
Valid Invalid Invalid
A. Determine whether the Conjunction is true or false. Explain your answer.
1. Binangonan is from Rizal and Ayungin lives in Laguna Lake.
2. A Square is a Quadrilateral and Fish are Reptiles.
3. Sugar is sweet and Tricycle have 4 wheels.
B. Determine whether the Disjunction is true or false. Explain your answer.
1. A triangle has 3 sides or 4 sides.
2. All Men are tall or All Women are short.
3. Angel Locsin is beautiful or John Loyd has dark complexion.
C. Determine whether the Conditional Proposition is True or False. Explain your
answer
1. If dolphins swim in the ocean, then birds fly in the sky.
2. If Morong is in Rizal, then the Pasig River flows backwards.
3. If Jianna drinks Milk, then Jianna still a baby.
