Symbols:Symbolic Logic/Logical Negation

Logical Not

$\neg$

Not.

A unary operator on a proposition.

$\neg Q$ means not $Q$, the logical opposite (negation) of $Q$.

The effect of the unary operator $\neg$ is to reverse the truth value of the statement following it.

The $\LaTeX$ code for \(\neg Q\) is \neg Q  or \lnot Q.

Deprecated Symbols

Minus

$-$

Not.

A unary operation on a proposition.

$-Q$ means $Q$ is not true.

An alternative to $\neg$, which is what is usually used by logicians.

The $\LaTeX$ code for \(-Q\) is -Q .

Tilde

$\sim$

Not.

A unary operation on a proposition.

$\sim Q$ means $Q$ is not true.

An alternative to $\neg$, which is what is usually used by logicians.

The $\LaTeX$ code for \(\sim Q\) is \sim Q .

Sources

• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Appendix: Table $7$: Common signs and symbols: not
• 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Appendix $14$: Symbols