How Do We Find the Logical Negation of Statements?

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In summary, we discussed the negation of quantified statements and how to show their equivalence using logical equivalences. We also determined the negation of a complex statement involving multiple quantifiers and functions. The symbols used in this context, such as $\forall$ and $\exists$, have specific meanings in logic and are used to indicate different types of quantification.
  • #1
mathmari
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Hey! :unsure:

It is given that the negation of "$\forall a\in A: \alpha (a)$" is "$\exists a\in A: \neg \alpha (a)$" and the negation of "$\exists b\in B: \beta (b)$" is "$\forall b\in B: \neg \beta (b)$".

I want to show that the negation of "$\forall a \in A \ \exists b \in B \ : \ \alpha (a, b)$" is "$\exists a \in A \ \forall b \in B \ : \ \neg \alpha (a, b)$".

Do we show that as follows? \begin{align*}\neg \left (\forall a \in A \ \exists b \in B \ : \ \alpha (a, b)\right )&\equiv \exists a \in A \ \neg \left ( \exists b \in B \ : \ \alpha (a, b)\right ) \\ & \equiv \exists a \in A \ \forall b \in B \ : \ \neg \alpha (a, b)\end{align*} Let $A\subset \mathbb{R}$ and let $f, g, h:A\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be functions.

I want to determine the negation of "$\forall \epsilon>0 \ \exists \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ [x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta \Rightarrow h(x)\leq \epsilon]$".

I have done the following:
\begin{align*}&\neg \left (\forall \epsilon>0 \ \exists \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ [x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta \Rightarrow h(x)\leq \epsilon]\right ) \\ & \equiv \exists \epsilon>0 \ \forall \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ \neg [x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta \Rightarrow h(x)\leq \epsilon] \\ & \equiv \exists \epsilon>0 \ \forall \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ \neg [\neg \left (x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta\right ) \lor h(x)\leq \epsilon] \\ & \equiv \exists \epsilon>0 \ \forall \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ [\left (x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta\right ) \land h(x)> \epsilon]\end{align*}

Is everything correct?

:unsure:
 
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  • #2
Yes, everything is correct. It makes sense to write either only commas or only $\land$ in the last formula.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
mathmari said:
Hey! :unsure:

It is given that the negation of "$\forall a\in A: \alpha (a)$" is "$\exists a\in A: \neg \alpha (a)$" and the negation of "$\exists b\in B: \beta (b)$" is "$\forall b\in B: \neg \beta (b)$".

I want to show that the negation of "$\forall a \in A \ \exists b \in B \ : \ \alpha (a, b)$" is "$\exists a \in A \ \forall b \in B \ : \ \neg \alpha (a, b)$".

Do we show that as follows? \begin{align*}\neg \left (\forall a \in A \ \exists b \in B \ : \ \alpha (a, b)\right )&\equiv \exists a \in A \ \neg \left ( \exists b \in B \ : \ \alpha (a, b)\right ) \\ & \equiv \exists a \in A \ \forall b \in B \ : \ \neg \alpha (a, b)\end{align*} Let $A\subset \mathbb{R}$ and let $f, g, h:A\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be functions.

I want to determine the negation of "$\forall \epsilon>0 \ \exists \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ [x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta \Rightarrow h(x)\leq \epsilon]$".

I have done the following:
\begin{align*}&\neg \left (\forall \epsilon>0 \ \exists \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ [x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta \Rightarrow h(x)\leq \epsilon]\right ) \\ & \equiv \exists \epsilon>0 \ \forall \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ \neg [x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta \Rightarrow h(x)\leq \epsilon] \\ & \equiv \exists \epsilon>0 \ \forall \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ \neg [\neg \left (x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta\right ) \lor h(x)\leq \epsilon] \\ & \equiv \exists \epsilon>0 \ \forall \alpha ,\beta >0 \ : \ [\left (x\in A, f(x)\leq \alpha , g(x)\geq \beta\right ) \land h(x)> \epsilon]\end{align*}

Is everything correct?

:unsure:

Does the above hold for some x or for all x
What do the symbols (:) (,) mean
 
  • #4
It's a bad idea to overquote. The first part of the quote has nothing to do with $x$.

solakis said:
Does the above hold for some x or for all x
The equivalence holds for each particular $x$, so for all $x$.

solakis said:
What do the symbols :)) (,) mean
I am not sure about the smiley, but comma means conjunction in this context.
 
  • #5
Sorry i mean ... :
 
  • #6
In this case colon is just a part of formula syntax: $\forall x:\,A$. There are many variations of this syntax.
 
  • #7
oh yes $\forall x$
 

FAQ: How Do We Find the Logical Negation of Statements?

What is the definition of logical negation?

Logical negation is a logical operation that takes a statement and produces its opposite, or negation. In other words, if the original statement is true, the negation will be false, and vice versa.

How is logical negation represented in symbolic logic?

In symbolic logic, logical negation is represented by the symbol "~" or "¬". For example, if the statement "It is raining" is represented as p, then the negation would be represented as ~p or ¬p.

What is the difference between logical negation and contradiction?

Logical negation is the opposite of a statement, while a contradiction is a statement that is always false. For example, the negation of the statement "The sky is blue" would be "The sky is not blue", while a contradiction would be "The sky is both blue and not blue".

Can logical negation be applied to any type of statement?

Yes, logical negation can be applied to any type of statement, including mathematical, scientific, or everyday language statements. It is a fundamental concept in logic and reasoning.

How does logical negation affect the truth value of a statement?

Logical negation changes the truth value of a statement from true to false, or from false to true. This means that if the original statement is true, the negation will be false, and if the original statement is false, the negation will be true.

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