Nuclear threat example
Weapons-grade nuclear material may be derived from uranium ore if
refining technology is available, or it may be acquired from a black
market source. Foobarstan is known to have either uranium ore or a
black market source. Foobarstan will build a nuclear
warhead if and only if it can obtain nuclear material, a detonator,
and the bomb casing. A warhead and a missile, or a warhead and a
truck, constitute a nuclear threat. Foobarstan has either a missile
or a truck. Suppose Foobarstan has refining technology, a detonator,
and a bomb casing. Does Foobarstan pose a nuclear threat? Formalization in propositional logic
Hot drink example
A theory about an espresso machine: If the pump is OK and the pump is
on, then there's water. If you fill it manually, then there's water.
Either the pump is on, or you fill it manually, but not both. If
there's water and the boiler is OK and the boiler is on, then there's
steam. If there's not water, or if the boiler is not OK, or if the
boiler is not on, then there's no steam. If there's steam and coffee,
then you get a hot drink. If there's steam and a teabag, then you get
a hot drink. There is either coffee or a teabag. Now suppose the
pump is OK and the boiler is OK and the boiler is on. Do you get a
hot drink? Formalization in propositional logic
Fred
example
Living is an AnimacyAttribute, which is a subclass of
BiologicalAttribute. An instance of a subclass is an instance of the
superclass. Something which possesses a BiologicalAttribute is an
Organism. Suppose Fred possesses the attribute of Living. Is Fred an
Organism?
Formalization in first-order logic
