Outline Boolean Algebra

Chapter Five - Boolean Algebra

Robert Acquah
National Institute for Mathematical Sciences (NIMS)

April 9, 2019
Outline Boolean Algebra

1 Boolean Algebra
Outline Boolean Algebra

Basic Definitions And Theorems

Definition (Boolean Algebra)

Let B be a set on which are defined two binary
defined operators, + and ∗, and a unary operation,
denoted by 0 ; let 0 and 1 denote two distinct
elements of B . Then the sextuplet

hB, +, ∗,0 , 0, 1i

is called a Boolean algebra if the following axioms

hold for any elements: a, b, c ∈ B;
Outline Boolean Algebra

Basic Definitions And Theorems

Definition (Boolean Algebra)

B1 Commutative laws:
B2 Distributive laws:
B3 Identity laws:
B4 Complement laws:

0 - called - zero element

1 - called - unit element
a0 - called - complement of a
+ and ∗ - called - sum and product respectively.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Fundamental Tables

We normally drop ∗

Tables For 0 ,+,∗

Draw
Example
Find the value of 1 ∗ 0 + (0 + 1)0
Outline Boolean Algebra

Boolean Expressions And Functions

Boolean Variable
Let B = {0, 1}. The variable x is called a Boolean
variable if it takes values only from B.

Definition (Boolean Function)

A function
F : B n = {(x1 , x2 , . . . , xn )|xi ∈ B, 1 ≤ i ≤ n} → B
is called a Boolean function of degree n .
Example
The Boolean function F (x, y ) with the value 1
when x = 1 and y = 0 and the value 0 for all other
choice of x and y is represented by the table
Outline Boolean Algebra

Boolean Expressions And Functions

Boolean Functions
Boolean functions are represented by Boolean
expressions made up of the variables and the
Boolean operations.
For each s ∈ B, s is a Boolean expression.
x1 , x2 , . . . , xn , x1 ∗ x2 and x1 + x2 are Boolean
expressions.
Each Boolean expression represents a Boolean
function. The values of this function are
obtained by substituting 0 and 1 for the
variables in the expression.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Boolean Expressions And Functions

Example
Find the values of the Boolean function represented
by F (x, y , z) = xy + z 0

Solution
Draw a table for the function

Two different expressions that represent the same

function are called equivalent. For example, the
Boolean expressions: xy , xy + 0, xy ∗ 1 are
equivalent.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Boolean Expressions And Functions

The complement of the Boolean function F is

the function F 0 .
Boolean sum
Boolean product
Outline Boolean Algebra

Identities Of Boolean Algebra

Law of Double Complement

(x 0 )0 = x

Idempotent Laws

x +x =x
x ·x =x
Outline Boolean Algebra

Identities Of Boolean Algebra

Identity Laws

x +0=x
x ·1=x

Dominance Laws

x +1=1
x ·0=0
Outline Boolean Algebra

Identities Of Boolean Algebra

De Morgan’s Laws

(xy )0 = x 0 + y 0
(x + y )0 = x 0 · y 0

Commutative, Associative, Distributive Laws

Example
Show that the distributive law is valid.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Identities Of Boolean Algebra

Example
Prove the absorption law x(x + y ) = x.

Proof.

x(x + y ) = (x + 0)(x + y ) Identity Law

= x + (0 · y ) Distributive Law
= x + 0 Dominance Law
= x Identity Law
Outline Boolean Algebra

Duality

Dual of a Boolean Expression

The dual of a Boolean expression is obtained by
interchanging Boolean sums and Boolean products
and interchanging 0’s and 1’s.

Example
Find the duals of x(y + 0) and x 0 · 1 + (y 0 + z).

Example
Construct an identity from the absorption law.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Representation Of Boolean Functions

Example
Find Boolean expressions that represent the
functions F (x, y , z) and G (x, y , z) which are given
by the Table.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Representation Of Boolean Functions

Definition (Literal)
A literal is a Boolean variable or its complement. A
minterm is product of n literals with one literal for
each variable.
Example
Find a minterm that equals 1 if x1 = x3 = 0 and
x2 = x4 = x5 = 1, and equals 0 otherwise.

Solution.
The minterm x10 x2 x30 x4 x5 has the correct set of
values.
Outline Boolean Algebra

Thank You.