Our set of propositions may therefore be expressed as follows:—



All AB is D,
All ab is c,
All cd is ab,
All D is AB.[531]

[531] Restoring the second of these propositions to the form All ab is cd, and writing the propositions equationally, the solution may be expressed in a still simpler form, namely, AB = D, ab = cd.

541. Resolve the proposition Everything is ABCDeF or ABcDEf or AbCDEF or AbCDeF or AbcDeF or aBCDEf or aBcDEf or abCDeF or abCdeF or abcDef or abcdef into a conjunction of relatively simple propositions.

[Jevons, Principles of Science, 2nd ed., p. 127 (Problem x.)]

The following is a solution:—

(1) All A is D ;
(2) All ABC is e ;
(3) All aF is bCe ;
(4) All Bf is DE ;
(5) All bf is ace ;
(6) All cF is be.

This is somewhat less complex than the solution by Dr John Hopkinson given in Jevons, Studies in Deductive Logic, p. 256, namely:—

(i) All d is ab ;
(ii) All b is AF or ae ;
(iii) All Af is BcDE ;
(iv) All E is Bf or AbCDF ;
(v) All Be is ACDF ;
(vi) All abc is ef ;
(vii) All abef is c.

537 542. How many and what non-disjunctive propositions are equivalent to the statement that “What is either Ab or bC is Cd or cD, and vice versâ”? [Jevons, Studies, p. 246.]