TEN BASIC RULES OF INFERENCE

Negation Introduction (~I indirect proof IP) Disjunction Introduction (vI addition ADD)
Assume p p
Get q & ~q pvq
~p Disjunction Elimination (vE version of CD)
Negation Elimination (~E version of DN) pvq
~~p p pr
Conditional Introduction (I conditional proof CP) qr
Assume p r
Get q Biconditional Introduction (I version of ME)
pq pq
Conditional Elimination (E modus ponens MP) qp
pq pq
p Biconditional Elimination (E version of ME)
q pq
Conjunction Introduction (&I conjunction CONJ) pq
p or
q qp
p&q
Conjunction Elimination (&E simplification SIMP)
p&q
p

IMPORTANT DERIVED RULES OF INFERENCE

Modus Tollens (MT) Constructive Dilemma (CD)

pq pvq
~q pr
~P qs
Hypothetical Syllogism (HS) rvs
pq Repeat (RE)
qr p
pr p
Disjunctive Syllogism (DS) Contradiction (CON)
pvq p
~p ~p
q Any wff
Absorption (ABS) Theorem Introduction (TI)
pq Introduce any tautology, e.g., ~(P & ~P)
p (p & q)

EQUIVALENCES

De Morgans Law (DM) Material implication (MI)

~(p & q) (~p v ~q) (p q) (~p v q)
~(p v q) (~p & ~q) Material Equivalence (ME)
Commutation (COM) (p q) [(p & q ) v (~p & ~q)]
(p v q) (q v p) (p q) [(p q ) & (q p)]
(p & q) (q & p) Exportation (EXP)
Association (ASSOC) [(p & q) r] [p (q r)]
[p v (q v r)] [(p v q) v r] Tautology (TAUT)
[p & (q & r)] [(p & q) & r] p (p & p)
Distribution (DIST) p (p v p)
[p & (q v r)] [(p & q) v (p & r)] Conditional-Biconditional Refutation Tree Rules
[p v (q & r)] [(p v q) & (p v r)] ~(p q) (p & ~q)
Double Negation (DN) ~(p q) [(p & ~q) v (~p & q)]
p ~~p
Transposition (TRANS)
(p q) (~q~p)
CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISM RULES (e.g., x(Fx) / Fy). Also, existential name a
Standard Forms of Categorical Statements: must be a new name that has not occurred in any
d u previous line.
A: All S is P (all students are people) x(Fx) / Fa
d d Quantifier Equivalence Rules (Quantifier Exchange
E: No S is P (no students are pelicans) QE)
u u
I: Some S is P (some students are Polish)
x(Fx) ~x~(Fx)
u d ~x(Fx) x~(Fx)
O: Some S is not P (some students are not pilots) x~(Fx) ~x(Fx)
Figures of Syllogisms: ~x~(Fx) x(Fx)
1st Fig. 2nd Fig. 3rd Fig. 4th Fig.
M-P P-M M-P P-M MODAL LOGIC: RULES
S-M S-M M-S M-S Modal operators
S-P S-P S-P S-P p = it is necessary that p
Five Rules of Validity p = it is possible that p
1. One distributed middle term: middle term must Truth assignment of p and p in possible worlds
be distributed in at least one premise. Necessity: p is true in world w1 if and only if p
2. Distributed term-distributed term: term is is true in every world accessible to w1
distributed in conclusion iff it is distributed in Possibility: p is true in world w1 if and only if
premise. p is true in some world accessible to w1
3. One affirmative premise: must have at least one Accessibility relations between possible worlds
affirmative premise. Serial relation: every world has access to at least
4. Negative-negative: negative conclusion iff one world
negative premise. {w1} {w2}
5. Particular-particular: cannot conclude a Reflexive relation: every world can access itself
particular from two universals. {w1}

PREDICATE LOGIC RULES Symmetric relation: for all worlds, w1, w2, if w1
A: all S is P (all students are people) has access to w2, then w2 has access to
x(Sx Px) w1
E: no S is P (no student is a pelican) {w1} {w2}
x(Sx ~Px) Transitive relation: For all worlds, w1, w2, w3,
I: some S is P (some students are pilots) if w1 has access to w2, and w2 has
x(Sx & Px) access to w3, then w1 has access to w3
O: some S is not P (some students are not partiers) {w1} {w2} {w3}
x(Sx & ~Px)
Rules and Axioms
QUANTIFICATION RULES Necessitation Rule (NEC): if wff A is a proved
Universal Elimination/Instantiation (E, UI). Two theorem (e.g., truth table tautology such
forms, works with both variables and constants. as p v ~p), then we may infer A
x(Fx) / Fy Change Modal Operator Rule (CMO)
x(Fx) / Fa p ~~p
Universal Introduction/Generalization (I, UG). One p ~~p
form, works only with variables, not constants ~p ~p
(e.g., Fa / x(Fx)). ~p ~p
Fy / x(Fx) Major Axioms
Existential Introduction/Generalization (I, EG). Two AS1: P ~~P
forms, works with both variables and constants. AS2: (PQ) (P Q)
Fa / x(Fx) AS3: P P
Fy / x(Fx) AS4: P P
Existential Elimination/Instantiation (E, EI). One
form, works only with constants, not variables