Transitive property

[Guest]

Ok I know this isn't really related to math, but it something I have problem with.

Suppose I have the following comparison of people's names:

Watkins is not Harris
Watkins is not Franklin
Charles is not Watkins
Charles is not Vail

or, in another form:

Watkins <> Harris
Watkins <> Franklin
Charles <> Watkins
Charles <> Vail

Since the transitive property states that if a=b and b=c then a=c.

So if I apply that to the list, I get:

Harris <> Franklin
Watkins <> Vail
Charles <> Harris
Franklin <> Charles

Is this right (or can I do this)?

 

[Guest]

Well, actually that sort of does have to do with math I remember doing problems like those for fun in my Calc class in high school. Anyway, I'm not really sure that you can apply the transitive property to that problem, though, I don't really think they have anything to do with it. My thinking is this, let's let Watkins=A, Harris=B, Franklin=C, Charles=D, and Vail=E. Your problem thus states:

A does not = B
A does not = C
D does not = A
D does not = E

And your reasoning gives us:

B does not = C
A does not = E
D does not = B
C does not = D

So basically, nobody is equal to anybody else. However, from the problem, it seems that A could be E, or B could be C, D, or E, or C could be E, etc. Personally, I just don't think the transitive property could be used.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, ArcainineFalls531!

Yeah I guess your right...

I'm trying to solve this super hard logic problem that my math teacher gave us for extra credit. No wonder he gave us a hard one (because we have all of spring break to figure it out).

Thanks anyway.

BTW have you done logic problems in high school before? Or has anyone here done logic problems before?