Discrete Structures Practice Questions

Which of these sentences are propositions? What are the truth values of those
that are propositions?

Boston is the capital of Massachusetts.

Miami is the capital of Florida.

2 + 3 = 5.

5 + 7 = 10.

x + 2 = 11.

Answer this question.

Do not pass go.

What time is it?

There are no black flies in Maine.

4 + x = 5.

The moon is made of green cheese.

2n ≥ 100.

What is the negation of each of these propositions?

Mei has an MP3 player.

There is no pollution in New Jersey.

2 + 1 = 3. Topic: Propositional Logic

The summer in Maine is hot and sunny.

Jennifer and Teja are friends.

There are 13 items in a baker’s dozen.

Abby sent more than 100 text messages every day.

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

121 is a perfect square.

Suppose that during the most recent fiscal year, the annual revenue of Acme
Computer was 138 billion dollars and its net profit was 8 billion dollars, the
annual revenue of Nadir Software was 87 billion dollars and its net profit was 5
billion dollars, and the annual revenue of Quixote Media was 111 billion dollars
and its net profit was 13 billion dollars. Determine the truth value of each of
these propositions for the most recent fiscal year.

Quixote Media had the largest annual revenue.

Nadir Software had the lowest net profit and Acme Computer had the
largest annual revenue.

Acme Computer had the largest net profit or Quixote Media had the largest
net profit.

If Quixote Media had the smallest net profit, then Acme Computer had the
largest annual revenue.

Nadir Software had the smallest net profit if and only if Acme Computer
had the largest annual revenue.

Let p and q be the propositions “Swimming at the New Jersey shore is allowed”
and “Sharks have been spotted near the shore,” respectively. Express each of
these compound propositions as an English sentence.

a) ￢𝑞𝑞

Topic: Propositional Logic

b) 𝑝𝑝 ∧ 𝑞𝑞

c) ￢𝑝𝑝 ∨ 𝑞𝑞

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

d) 𝑝𝑝 → ￢𝑞𝑞

e) ￢𝑞𝑞 → 𝑝𝑝

f ) ￢𝑝𝑝 → ￢𝑞𝑞

g) 𝑝𝑝 ↔ ￢𝑞𝑞

h) ￢𝑝𝑝 ∧ (𝑝𝑝 ∨ ￢𝑞𝑞)

Let p and q be the propositions

p : It is below freezing.

q : It is snowing.

Write these propositions using p and q and logical connectives (including

negations).

a) It is below freezing and snowing.

b) It is below freezing but not snowing. Topic: Propositional Logic

c) It is not below freezing and it is not snowing.

d) It is either snowing or below freezing (or both).

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

e) If it is below freezing, it is also snowing.

f ) Either it is below freezing or it is snowing, but it is not snowing if it is

below freezing.

g) That it is below freezing is necessary and sufficient for it to be snowing.

Let p, q, and r be the propositions

p :You get an A on the final exam.

q :You do every exercise in this book.

r :You get an A in this class.

Write these propositions using p, q, and r and logical connectives (including

negations).

a) You get an A in this class, but you do not do every exercise in this book.

b) You get an A on the final, you do every exercise in this book, and you get
an A in this class.
Topic: Propositional Logic

c) To get an A in this class, it is necessary for you to get an A on the final.

d) You get an A on the final, but you don’t do every exercise in this book;
nevertheless, you get an A in this class.

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

e) Getting an A on the final and doing every exercise in this book is

sufficient for getting an A in this class.

f ) You will get an A in this class if and only if you either do every exercise in
this book or you get an A on the final.

State the converse, contrapositive, and inverse of each of these conditional

statements.

If it snows today, I will ski tomorrow.

Converse:

Contrapositive:

Inverse:

I come to class whenever there is going to be a quiz.

Converse:

Contrapositive:

Inverse:

A positive integer is a prime only if it has no divisors other than 1 and itself.
Topic: Propositional Logic
Converse:

Contrapositive:

Inverse:

If it snows tonight, then I will stay at home.

Converse:

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

Contrapositive:

Inverse:

I go to the beach whenever it is a sunny summer day.

Converse:

Contrapositive:

Inverse:

When I stay up late, it is necessary that I sleep until noon.

Converse:

Contrapositive:

Inverse:

Translate the given statement into propositional logic using the propositions
provided.

1. You cannot edit a protected Wikipedia entry unless you are an

administrator.

Express your answer in terms of e: “You can edit a protected Wikipedia

entry” and a: “You are an administrator.”

Topic: Propositional Logic

2. You can see the movie only if you are over 18 years old or you have the
permission of a parent.

Express your answer in terms of m: “You can see the movie,” e: “You are
over 18 years old,” and p: “You have the permission of a parent.”

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

3. You can graduate only if you have completed the requirements of your
major and you do not owe money to the university and you do not have an
overdue library book.

Express your answer in terms of g: “You can graduate,” m: “You owe money
to the university,” r: “You have completed the requirements of your
major,” and b: “You have an overdue library book.”

4. To use the wireless network in the airport you must pay the daily fee
unless you are a subscriber to the service.

Express your answer in terms of w: “You can use the wireless network in
the airport,” d: “You pay the daily fee,” and s: “You are a subscriber to the
service.”

5. You are eligible to be President of the U.S.A. only if you are at least 35
years old, were born in the U.S.A, or at the time of your birth both of your
parents were citizens, and you have lived at least 14 years in the country.

Express your answer in terms of e: “You are eligible to be President of the

U.S.A.,” a: “You are at least 35 years old,” b: “You were born in the U.S.A,”
p: “At the time of your birth, both of your parents where citizens,” and r:
“You have lived at least 14 years in the U.S.A.”

Topic: Propositional Logic

6. You can upgrade your operating system only if you have a 32-bit
processor running at 1 GHz or faster, at least 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB free
hard disk space, or a 64- bit processor running at 2 GHz or faster, at least 2
GB RAM, and at least 32 GB free hard disk space.

Express you answer in terms of u: “You can upgrade your operating

system,” b32: “You have a 32-bit processor,” b64: “You have a 64-bit
processor,” g1: “Your processor runs at 1 GHz or faster,” g2: “Your

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

processor runs at 2 GHz or faster,” r1: “Your processor has at least 1 GB

RAM,” r2: “Your processor has at least 2 GB RAM,” h16: “You have at least
16 GB free hard disk space,” and h32: “You have at least 32 GB free hard
disk space.”

Show that ￢(𝒑𝒑 ∨ (￢𝒑𝒑 ∧ 𝒒𝒒)) and ￢𝒑𝒑 ∧ ￢𝒒𝒒 are logically equivalent by
developing a series of logical equivalences.

Show that each of these conditional statements is a tautology without using

truth tables.

a) (𝑝𝑝 ∧ 𝑞𝑞) → 𝑝𝑝

b) 𝑝𝑝 → (𝑝𝑝 ∨ 𝑞𝑞)

c) ￢𝑝𝑝 → (𝑝𝑝 → 𝑞𝑞)

Topic: Propositional Logic

d) (𝑝𝑝 ∧ 𝑞𝑞) → (𝑝𝑝 → 𝑞𝑞)

e) ￢(𝑝𝑝 → 𝑞𝑞) → 𝑝𝑝

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

f ) ￢(𝑝𝑝 → 𝑞𝑞) → ￢𝑞𝑞

g ) (𝑝𝑝 ∧ 𝑞𝑞) → (𝑝𝑝 ∨ 𝑞𝑞)

Express these system specifications using the propositions 𝒑𝒑 “The user enters a
valid password”, 𝒒𝒒 “Access is granted”, and 𝒓𝒓 “The user has paid the
subscription fee” and logical connectives (including negations).

“The user has paid the subscription fee, but does not enter a valid
password.”

“Access is granted whenever the user has paid the subscription fee and
enters a valid password.”

“Access is denied if the user has not paid the subscription fee.”

“If the user has not entered a valid password but has paid the subscription
fee, then access is granted.”
Topic: Propositional Logic

For each of these sentences, determine whether an inclusive or, or an exclusive

or, is intended. Explain your answer.

a) Coffee or tea comes with dinner.

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Discrete Structures Practice Questions

b) A password must have at least three digits or be at least eight characters

long.

c) The prerequisite for the course is a course in number theory or a course

in cryptography.

d) You can pay using U.S. dollars or euros.

e) To take discrete mathematics, you must have taken calculus or a course

in computer science.

f) When you buy a newcar fromAcme Motor Company, you get $2000 back
in cash or a 2% car loan.

g) Dinner for two includes two items from column A or three items from
column B.

h) School is closed if more than 2 feet of snow falls or if the wind chill is
below −100.

Write each of these statements in the form “if p, then q” in English.

a) It snows whenever the wind blows from the northeast.

b) The apple trees will bloom if it stays warm for a week.

Topic: Propositional Logic

c) That the Pistons win the championship implies that they beat the Lakers.

d) It is necessary to walk 8 miles to get to the top of Long’s Peak.

e) To get tenure as a professor, it is sufficient to beworldfamous.

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f ) If you drive more than 400 miles, you will need to buy gasoline.

g) Your guarantee is good only if you bought your CD player less than 90
days ago.

h) Jan will go swimming unless the water is too cold.

Topic: Propositional Logic

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