Truth Tables

I. Truth-Values
II. Truth-Functional Connectives
III. Truth Tables
IV. The Truth-Table
A. Conjunctions
B. Negations
C. Disjunctions
D. Conditionals
E. Biconditionals
 I. Truth Values
A proposition has the truth-value T just in case it is true.
A proposition has the truth-value F just in case it is
false.

Examples:
Obama is the president has the truth-value T.
Sarah Palin is the president has the truth-value
F.
II. Truth-Functional Connectives

In propositional logic, we assume that each of the five

propositional connectives are truth-functional connectives.

A connective is truth-functional when the truth or falsity of

the compound statements containing them are determined by
the truth or falsity of the component statements.
 III. Truth Tables
A truth table is a table that tells us how
to compute the truth value of a compound
proposition given the truth-values of its
simplest parts.
 IVa. The Truth-Table for Conjunctions
p q p&q
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F F

This table tells us that

whenever both conjuncts are true, the conjunction is true.
In all other cases, the conjunction is a false.
 Where Do the Truth-Values
in Step 3 Come From?
We get the values in the third column by generalizing from observations
about how and works in every day contexts.

Harry is Sarah is short Harry is tall and Sarah is short.

tall
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F F
When Harry is tall is true and Sarah is short is true, the
proposition, Harry is tall and Sarah is short is true. In all other cases,
Harry is tall and Sarah is short is false.
 State whether each of the following conjunctions is
true or false?
(Consult the truth-table for conjunctions and your knowledge about the world)

1. Barack Obama is the president and Joe Biden is

the vice-president.
2. Barack Obama is the president and Sarah Palin
is the vice-president.
3. John McCain is the president and Joe Biden is
the vice-president.
4. John McCain is the president and Sarah Palin is
the vice-president.
p q p&q
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F F
IVb. The Truth-Table for Negations
p ~p
T F
F T

The table tells us that

a. when p is true, ~p is false; and
b. when p is false, ~p is true
 State whether each of the following negations are
true or false?
(Consult the table for negations and what you know about the world)

1. It is not the case that Sarah Palin is the

president.
2. Obama is not the president.
3. It is not the case that McCain is not the
president.

p ~p
T F
F T
 IVc. The Truth-Table for Disjunctions
p q pvq
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F

This table tells us that

whenever both disjuncts are false, the disjunction is false;
In all other cases, the disjunction is true.
Are the following Disjunctions true or false?
(Consult the truth-table for disjunctions and your knowledge of the
world.)

1. Obama is the president or McCain is the

president.
2. McCain is the president or Palin is the president.
3. Obama is the president or caffeine is in coffee.
4. The Earth is flat or 2 + 2 = 5.

p q pvq
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F
IVd. The truth-table for Conditionals

p q pq
T T T
T F F
F T T
F F T

This table tells us that

whenever the antecedent is true, but the consequent is false, the
conditional is false.
In all other cases, the conditional is true.
IVd. The truth-table for Biconditionals

p q pq
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F T

This table tells us that

whenever both sides of the biconditional have the same truth-
value, the biconditional is true
When there is a mismatch, the biconditional is false.
 Mid-Point Summary
Memorize all four truth-tables
p q p&q p q pvq
p ~p T T T T T T
T F T F F T F T
F T F T F F T T
F F F F F F

p q pq p q pq

T T T T T T
T F F T F F
F T T F T F
F F T F F T
Constructing Truth-Tables for Complex Statements
(i.e. statements with two or more connectives)

p q ~p & q
T T
T F
F T
F F

Step 1: Determine how many rows you will need. The number of rows = 2n where
n is the number variables in the compound statement.
Step 2: List all of the truth value combinations.
 Constructing Truth-Tables for
Complex Statements

p q ~p & q
T T T T
T F T F
F T F T
F F F F

Step 3: For each row, assign the appropriate truth value to each simple proposition.
 Constructing Truth-Tables for
Complex Statements

p q ~p & q
T T FT T
T F FT F
F T TF T
F F TF F

Step 4: Using the five basic truth values, calculate the truth value for the
remaining component propositions. Start with the connectives that have the
smallest scope and then work your way out until you are ready to calculate
the main connective.
 Constructing Truth-Tables for
Complex Statements

p q ~p & q
T T FTFT
T F FTFF
F T TFTT
F F TFFF

Step 5: Once you have calculated the truth-value of both sides of the main
connective (or of the negated proposition in the case of negation of a complex
statement), calculate the truth value for the proposition as a whole.
 Complete the Truth Table For Each of
the Following Complex Propositions
1. (p V q) & ~(p & q)
2. (p q) V (~p q)
3. (a V b) (a & ~b)
4. (a V b) ~(c a)
5. ((p (a V z)) & (a V ~p)) (~z & ~p)