RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
Logic in Introduction-to-Proof Students: Mathematical Truth Table Tasks
Page: 2
Mathematics uses standard logic, in which the truth value of the conditional ‘if A then B’ is completely determined by the truth values of A and B. Specifically, when A is false, ‘if A then B’ is, by definition, true. This makes the mathematical conditional out of line with natural language, where research using truth table tasks shows that conditionals are often considered irrelevant in false-antecedent cases. What does this mean for mathematics undergraduates? Do they interpret conditionals according to standard logic, or do their responses align with everyday interpretations? Do they make consistent interpretations, or do these vary by content? This report contributes a first investigation of this issue.