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Predicate Logic: Rosen

Predicate logic is an extension of propositional logic that allows reasoning about classes of entities using variables and predicates. Predicates model properties or relationships that subjects can have. Quantifiers like "for all" and "there exists" allow statements about how many subjects satisfy a given predicate. Predicate logic provides a formal notation for mathematics and is the basis for automated reasoning systems and databases.

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Nalam Ashika
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42 views13 pages

Predicate Logic: Rosen

Predicate logic is an extension of propositional logic that allows reasoning about classes of entities using variables and predicates. Predicates model properties or relationships that subjects can have. Quantifiers like "for all" and "there exists" allow statements about how many subjects satisfy a given predicate. Predicate logic provides a formal notation for mathematics and is the basis for automated reasoning systems and databases.

Uploaded by

Nalam Ashika
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Predicate Logic

Rosen

1
Predicate Logic

• Predicate logic is an extension of


propositional logic that permits concisely
reasoning about whole classes of entities.
E.g., “x>1”, “x+y=10”
• Such statements are neither true or false
when the values of the variables are not
specified.

2
Applications of Predicate Logic
• It is the formal notation for writing perfectly
clear, concise, and unambiguous
mathematical definitions, axioms, and
theorems for any branch of mathematics.
• Supported by some of the more sophisticated
database query engines.
• Basis for automatic theorem provers and
many other Artificial Intelligence systems.

3
Subjects and Predicates
• The proposition
“The dog is sleeping”
has two parts:
– “the dog” denotes the subject - the object or
entity that the sentence is about.
– “is sleeping” denotes the predicate- a property
that the subject can have.

4
Propositional Functions
• A predicate is modeled as a function P(·) from objects
to propositions.
– P(x) = “x is sleeping” (where x is any object).
• The result of applying a predicate P to an object x=a
is the proposition P(a).
– e.g. if P(x) = “x > 1”,
then P(3) is the proposition “3 is greater than 1.”
• Note: The predicate P itself (e.g. P=“is sleeping”) is
not a proposition (not a complete sentence).

5
Propositional Functions
• Predicate logic includes propositional
functions of any number of arguments.
e.g. let P(x,y,z) = “x gave y the grade z”,
x=“Mike”, y=“Mary”, z=“A”,
P(x,y,z) = “Mike gave Mary the grade A.”

6
Universe of Discourse

• The collection of values that a variable x


can take is called x’s universe of discourse.
e.g., let P(x)=“x+1>x”.
we could define the course of universe as
the set of integers.

7
Quantifier Expressions

• Quantifiers allow us to quantify (count) how many


objects in the universe of discourse satisfy a given
predicate:
- “” is the FORLL or universal quantifier.
x P(x) means for all x in the u.d., P holds.

- “” is the XISTS or existential quantifier.


x P(x) means there exists an x in the u.d. (that
is, one or more) such that P(x) is true.
8
Universal Quantifier : Example
• Let P(x) be the predicate “x is full.”
• Let the u.d. of x be parking spaces at UNR.
• The universal quantification of P(x),
x P(x), is the proposition:
– “All parking spaces at UNR are full.” or
– “Every parking space at UNR is full.” or
– “For each parking space at UNR, that space is full.”

9
The Universal Quantifier 
• To prove that a statement of the form
x P(x) is false, it suffices to find a
counterexample (i.e., one value of x in the
universe of discourse such that P(x) is false)

– e.g., P(x) is the predicate “x>0”

10
Existential Quantifier  Example

• Let P(x) be the predicate “x is full.”


• Let the u.d. of x be parking spaces at UNR.
• The universal quantification of P(x),
x P(x), is the proposition:
– “Some parking space at UNR is full.” or
– “There is a parking space at UNR that is full.” or
– “At least one parking space at UNR is full.”

11
Quantifier Equivalence Laws

• Definitions of quantifiers: If u.d.=a,b,c,…


x P(x)  P(a)  P(b)  P(c)  …
x P(x)  P(a)  P(b)  P(c)  …
• We can prove the following laws:
x P(x)  x P(x)
x P(x)  x P(x)
• Which propositional equivalence laws can
be used to prove this?
12
More Equivalence Laws
• x P(x)  x  P(x)
x P(x)  x  P(x)

• x y P(x,y)  y x P(x,y)
x y P(x,y)  y x P(x,y)

• x (P(x)  Q(x))  (x P(x))  (x Q(x))


x (P(x)  Q(x))  (x P(x))  (x Q(x))

13

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