Law of Contrapositive
How to use the law of contrapositive to find the statement that is always true: the law, 2 examples, and their solutions.
Law
A conditional [p → q] and its contrapositive [~q → ~p]
have the same truth values.
If [p → q] is true, then [~q → ~p] is true.
If [p → q] is false, then [~q → ~p] is false.
This is the law of contrapositive.
Example
The given statement is a conditional statement.
So the statement behind if is p:
it's raining.
And the statement behind then is q:
I'm staying home.
It says
the given statement p → q is true.
Then, by the law of contrapositive,
the contrapositive, ~q → ~p, is also true.
Write the contrapositive ~q → ~p.
If, not q, I'm not staying home,
then, not p, it's not raining.
So the contrapositive of the given statement,
if I'm not staying home,
then it's not raining,
is always true.
Example
The given statement is a conditional statement.
So the statement behind if is p:
it's raining.
And the statement behind then is q:
I'm staying home.
The given statement is p → q.
And it says
the inverse, ~p → ~q, is true.
Then, by the law of contrapositive,
the contrapositive of the inverse,
the converse q → p,
is also true.
Write the converse q → p.
If, q, I'm staying home,
then, p, it's raining.
So the converse of the given statement,
if I'm staying home,
then it's raining,
is always true.