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Given:

    1. Every student has an email account
    1. Maggie does not have an email account
    1. Homer is a student

Using E(x): x has an email, S(x): x is a student and M to represent Maggie while H represents Homer, I came up with the following premises:

  • 1: ∀x[S(x)→E(x)]
  • 2: ¬E(M)
  • 3: S(H)

I then have to determine if the two following conclusions are valid. The first conclusion:

  • Maggie is not a student

I determined this not a valid conclusion because you can only reach it by using the 'denying the antecedent' fallacy. Is this correct?

The second conclusion:

  • Homer does not have an email account

I came to the verdict that this is not a valid conclusion by:

  • ∀x[S(x)→E(x)] (Premise)
  • S(H) (Premise)
  • S(H) --> E(H) (UI and 2nd premise)
  • E(H) (Modus ponen applied to (2) and (3).

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Zevias
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