Nguyen Quang Hanh

20070933

HOMEWORK #1
Hacking Ch.1

Ex 4

Only (b) is impossible according to the definition of a valid argument

(a) If it rains, then he will stay at home (T)

It is raining (T)

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He is staying at home (T)

(c) If John doesn’t come on time, the departure time will be delayed (T)

John is late (F)

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The departure time is delayed (T)

(d) This new game needs a RAM greater than 256MB to play (T)

My computer’s RAM is greater than 256MB (F)

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I can play this game on my computer (F)

(e) Many fat people are slow (T)

Chris is fat (T)

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Chris is slow (T)

(f) Eating too much ice cream causes sore throat (T)

Diana got sore throat (T)

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Diana ate too much ice cream (F)

(g) Dogs and cats fight when put together (F)

My cousin has a dog and a cat (T)

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My cousin’s dog and cat fight all day (T)

(h) All the courses in the university are in English (F)

“British and American poetry” is a course offered in the university (T)

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The course “British and American poetry” is in English (F)

Ex 5

The combination (a) is a sound argument.

Ex 6

(a) (a) is an argument, also is valid-or-invalid

Tom, Dick, and Harry died. (True-or-false)

So:

All men are mortal. (True-or-false)

(b) If Tom, Dick, and Harry died, then all men are mortal. (Conditional proposition,
True-or-false)

Hacking Ch.2

Ex 1

Arguments from sample to population: (b)

From population to sample: (a), (c)

From sample to sample: (d)

Ex 3.3

(a) The argument:

The person who plays Lotto can get prize when there are two or more number in the
ticket matched with the drawn numbers.
There are more possibility to have numbers from a consecutive series matched to
the drawing than from a random series.

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It is better to choose (A).

(b) It’s a risky decision, as the possibility for each ticket to get a prize is the same.
It’s just the human feeling to rely more on the ticket with the consecutive series.

Ex 3.4

It is a valid argument.

7 occurs when a die has a number uppermost X and the other has the number 7-X
(X = 1..6). The possibility for a number X to face up is 1/6. Therefore, the possibility
of 7 to occur is:

6 occurs when a die has a number uppermost X and the other has the number 6-X
with X ranges from 1 to 5. Thus, the possibility that 6 occurs is:

Therefore, it is more probable that 7 occurs on a throw of these two dice, than 6.