Paper Name : Artificial Intelligence
Paper Code : OE-EC804A
Name : Aman Kumar Jha
Roll : 13000321047
Department : ECE'A'
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Slide
1 Introduction 3
2 What is Propositional Logic 4
3 Semantics of Propositional Logic 5
4 Inference in Propositional Logic 6
5 Application & Limitations 7
6 Conclusion 8
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Introduction
What are Logical Agents?
Logical agents are AI systems that use formal logic to represent knowledge and reason about it to
make decisions.
They operate by:
Representing knowledge about the world in a logical form.
Using inference rules to derive new knowledge.
Making decisions based on the derived knowledge.
Example: A medical diagnosis system that uses rules to infer diseases from symptoms.
Why Propositional Logic?
Propositional logic is the simplest form of logic, making it easy to understand and implement.
It serves as the foundation for more advanced logical systems like first-order logic and modal
logic.
It is widely used in AI for tasks like planning, diagnosis, and decision-making.
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What is Propositional Logic
Propositional logic is a branch of logic that deals with propositions, which are statements that can be
either true or false. It focuses on the relationships between these propositions using logical
connectives.
Key Components:
Propositions:
Atomic statements that are either true or false.
Examples: "It is raining," "The sky is blue."
Logical Connectives:
Used to combine propositions into more complex sentences.
Examples:
AND (∧): "It is raining AND the ground is wet."
IMPLIES (→): "If it rains, then the ground will be wet."
IFF (↔): "It is raining if and only if the ground is wet."
Example:
Let P = "It is raining," Q = "The ground is wet."
The sentence "If it is raining, then the ground is wet" can be written as P → Q.
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Semantics of Propositional Logic
Truth Tables:
A truth table defines the truth value of a complex sentence based on the truth values of its atomic
propositions.
Example: Truth table for P → Q (If P, then Q).
PQ P→Q
TT T
TF F
FT T
FF T
Interpretation:
P → Q is only false when P is true and Q is false.
In all other cases, it is true.
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Inference in Propositional Logic
Inference is the process of deriving new logical sentences (conclusions) from existing ones
(premises) using logical rules.
Why is Inference Important?
Enables agents to answer questions or solve problems using their knowledge base.
Example: If an agent knows "If it rains, the match will be canceled" and "It is raining," it can
infer "The match is canceled."
Methods:
a. Model Checking:
Enumerate all possible models (truth assignments) to check if a sentence is true in all
models.
Example: Check if P → Q is true in all models where P is true.
b. Inference Rules:
Modus Ponens: From P → Q and P, infer Q.
Resolution: From (P ∨ Q) and (¬P ∨ R), infer (Q ∨ R).
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Applications
In AI:
Expert Systems: Represent knowledge as logical rules (e.g., "If symptom X, then disease Y").
Puzzle Solving: Solve puzzles like Sudoku or Minesweeper using logical constraints.
In Computer Science:
Circuit Design: Represent logic gates (AND, OR, NOT) using propositional logic.
Boolean Satisfiability (SAT): Solve problems like scheduling or planning by checking if a logical
formula is satisfiable.
Limitation
Lack of Expressiveness:
Cannot represent relationships or quantify over objects.
Example: "All humans are mortal" cannot be expressed.
Scalability Issues:
The size of truth tables grows exponentially with the number of propositions.
Example: For 10 propositions, there are 2^10 = 1024 possible models.
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Conclusion
Propositional logic is a fundamental component of logical agents, allowing them to reason
using clear and structured rules.
It provides a strong foundation for decision-making in AI, automated reasoning, and problem-
solving.
While limited in handling complex and uncertain knowledge, it serves as a stepping stone for
advanced logical systems like First-Order Logic.
Understanding and applying propositional logic is crucial for developing intelligent systems
capable of logical inference and reasoning.
Reference
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Thank You
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