8. Mathematical Reasoning
Mathematical reasoning utilizes logical principles to derive conclusions from given premises, establishing a foundation for mathematical proofs. The chapter elaborates on statements, truth values, logical connectives, and methods of reasoning while highlighting concepts such as tautologies and contradictions. Furthermore, the interaction of logical statements through connectives and the significance of truth tables in evaluating logical expressions are underscored.
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What we have learnt
- Mathematical reasoning consists of using logical steps to arrive at conclusions based on premises.
- Statements can be evaluated as true or false, with respective truth values assigned as True (T) or False (F).
- Logical connectives create compound statements and influence the truth values based on their combinations.
Key Concepts
- -- Statement
- A declarative sentence that is either true or false and possesses an associated truth value.
- -- Logical Connectives
- Symbols that connect simple statements to form compound statements, including negation, conjunction, disjunction, implication, and biconditional.
- -- Truth Table
- A table that lists all possible truth values for compound statements based on their component statements.
- -- Tautology
- A statement that remains true regardless of the truth values of its components.
- -- Contradiction
- A statement that is always false.
- -- Logical Equivalence
- The condition when two statements have identical truth values across all scenarios.
- -- Direct Reasoning
- A method of reasoning that derives conclusions directly from premises using logical steps.
- -- Indirect Reasoning
- A method of reasoning that involves assuming the negation of what is to be proved to derive a contradiction.
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