Question

Consider the first-order logic sentence F:∀x(∃yR(x,y))F: \forall x (\exists y R(x, y)). Assuming non-empty logical domains, which of the sentences below are implied by FF?

I. ∃y(∃xR(x,y))\exists y (\exists x R(x, y))
II. ∃y(∀xR(x,y))\exists y (\forall x R(x, y))
III. ∀y(∃xR(x,y))\forall y (\exists x R(x, y))
IV. ¬∃x(∀y¬R(x,y))\neg \exists x (\forall y \neg R(x, y))

Choose one option
Official answer and solution
Official answer
B
From
Official GATE 2017 answer key

Solution

Analyze each first-order logic statement using quantifier duality and standard existential/universal instantiation rules over non-empty domains.

Given F:∀x(∃yR(x,y))F: \forall x (\exists y R(x, y)). This asserts that for every element xx in the domain, there is at least one element yy such that the relation R(x,y)R(x, y) holds.

Statement I: ∃y(∃xR(x,y))\exists y (\exists x R(x, y)). Since the logical domain is non-empty, we can pick any element x0x_0. By sentence FF, there exists some y0y_0 such that R(x0,y0)R(x_0, y_0) holds. Therefore, there exists yy and exists xx such that R(x,y)R(x, y), so statement I is necessarily true and implied by FF.

Statement II: ∃y(∀xR(x,y))\exists y (\forall x R(x, y)). This asserts that there is a single element yy that is related to every element xx. In general, ∀x∃y\forall x \exists y does not imply ∃y∀x\exists y \forall x. For example, over the set of integers Z\mathbb{Z} with R(x,y):y>xR(x, y): y > x, for every integer xx there is a larger integer yy, but there is no single integer yy that is greater than all integers. Hence, II is not implied.

Statement III: ∀y(∃xR(x,y))\forall y (\exists x R(x, y)). This asserts that every element yy is related to by some element xx. Sentence FF does not guarantee that every yy in the domain is chosen by some xx. Hence, III is not implied.

Statement IV: ¬∃x(∀y¬R(x,y))\neg \exists x (\forall y \neg R(x, y)). Applying quantifier duality (De Morgan's laws for quantifiers):

¬∃x(∀y¬R(x,y))≡∀x¬(∀y¬R(x,y))≡∀x(∃y¬¬R(x,y))≡∀x(∃yR(x,y))\neg \exists x (\forall y \neg R(x, y)) \equiv \forall x \neg(\forall y \neg R(x, y)) \equiv \forall x (\exists y \neg \neg R(x, y)) \equiv \forall x (\exists y R(x, y))

This is identical to sentence FF. Thus, statement IV is logically equivalent to FF, and therefore implied by FF.

Thus, statements I and IV are implied by FF.

Final answer

B

The answer is the one in the official GATE answer key. The solution is this site's own explanation.

Source

Paper
GATE 2017 Computer Science and Information Technology (CS) Session 1
Question
2 of 65, printed as CS Q.2
Section
Computer Science and Information Technology

Report an error in this question

GATE questions are the work of the organising institutes. This site is independent and is not affiliated with them.