Universal Quantifier (∀·) - For All
- ∀𝑥Predicate(𝑥) means that Predicate holds for ALL values of 𝑥 in the domain associated with that variable
- e.g. ∀𝑥 dolphin(𝑥) → mammal(𝑥)
Existential Quantifier (∃·) - There Exists
- ∃𝑥Predicate(𝑥) means that Predicate holds for SOME value of 𝑥 in the domain associated with that variable
- e.g. ∃𝑥 mammal(𝑥) → lays-eggs(𝑥)
Quantifiers - Example Sentences
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English |
Syntax |
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all professors are brilliant |
∀𝑥 (professor(𝑥) → brilliant(𝑥)) |
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the income of any banker is greater than the income of any bedder |
∀𝑥𝑦 (banker(𝑥) ∧ bedder(𝑦) → income(𝑥) > income(𝑦)) |
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every student has a supervisor |
∀𝑥 (student(𝑥) → ∃𝑦 supervises(𝑦, 𝑥)) |
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every student’s tutor is a member of the same college |
∀𝑥𝑦 (student(𝑥) ∧ college(𝑦) ∧ member(𝑥, 𝑦) → member(tutor(𝑥), 𝑦)) |
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there exist infinitely many Pythagorean triples |
∀𝑥 ∃𝑖𝑗𝑘 (𝑖 > n ∧ 𝑖² + 𝑗² = 𝑘²) |
Quantifiers - Equivalences
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infinitary de Morgan laws |
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pulling quantifiers through conjunction and disjunction (provided 𝑥 is not free in 𝐵) |
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distributive laws: |
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implication 𝐴 → 𝐵 as ¬𝐴 ∨ 𝐵 (provided 𝑥 is not free in 𝐵): |
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expansion: ∀ and ∃ as infinitary conjunction and disjunction: |
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