According to the order of precedence, why are the following not logically equivalent? $$(P ⇒ Q) ⇒ R$$ $$P ⇒ (Q ⇒ R)$$ I am confused about where brackets fit into the order of precedence.
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1Brackets fit into the order of precedence the way they always do: Calculate everything inside them first. – Arthur Sep 26 '17 at 06:34
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What does it mean to "use the order of precedence" to prove something? – JiK Sep 26 '17 at 08:06
3 Answers
Suppose $P=Q=R=0$. Then $$P\Rightarrow(Q\Rightarrow R)=0\Rightarrow1=1$$ but $$(P\Rightarrow Q)\Rightarrow R=1\Rightarrow 0=0$$
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Recall that $f\Rightarrow X$ is always true and $t\Rightarrow X$ is equivalent to $X$.
Now consider the case that $P$ is false. Then $P\Rightarrow(Q\Rightarrow R)$ is $f\Rightarrow(\ldots)$, hence true. But $(P\Rightarrow Q)\Rightarrow R$ is $(f\Rightarrow Q)\Rightarrow R$, is $t\Rightarrow R$, is $R$. As $R$ is not in generally true when $P$ is false, the two statements cannot be equivalent.
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One has $(P\Rightarrow Q) \Rightarrow R = (\neg P \lor Q) \Rightarrow R = \neg (\neg P \lor Q) \lor R = P \land \neg Q \lor R$,
and $P\Rightarrow (Q \Rightarrow R) = P \Rightarrow (\neg Q \lor R) = \neg P \lor (\neg Q \lor R) = \neg P \lor \neg Q \lor R$.
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