LAWS, PROPERTIES OF

BOOLEAN ALGEBRA
Boolean Algebraic Identities
an identity is a statement true for all
possible values of its variable or
variables.
There are four boolean Additive
identities, and as follows:
1. Identity Law A + 0 = A
2. Dominance Law A + 1 = 1
3. Idempotent Law A + A = A
4. Complement Law A + = 1
 Boolean Multiplicative Identities
1. 0 x A = 0
2. 1 x A = A
3. expresses the result of a Boolean
quantity multiplied by itself A x A = A
4. the product of a variable and its
complement must be 0 A = 0.
Identity Law
The algebraic identity of x + 0 = x tells
us that anything (x) added to zero
equals the original anything, no matter
what value that anything (x) may be.
Dominance Law
Here we discover that the sum of anything and
one is one:

No matter what the value of A, the sum of A and

1 will always be 1. In a sense, the 1 signal
overrides the effect of A on the logic circuit,
leaving the output fixed at a logic level of 1.
Idempotent Law
connecting both inputs of an OR gate to
each other and activating them with the
same signal:

the sum is equal to the original quantity:

0 + 0 = 0, and 1 + 1 = 1.
Competent Law
Since there must be one 1 value
between any variable and its
complement, and since the sum of any
Boolean quantity and 1 is 1, the sum of a
variable and its complement must be 1:
Multiplicative Identities
the first two are no different from their
equivalent expressions in regular
algebra:
 the product of a Boolean quantity and
itself is the original quantity, since 0 x 0
= 0 and 1 x 1 = 1:
 Since there must be one 0 value
between any variable and its
complement, and since the product of
any Boolean quantity and 0 is 0, the
product of a variable and its complement
must be 0:
Commutative Property
tells us we can reverse the order of
variables that are either added together
or multiplied together without changing
the truth of the expression:
Associative Property
tells us we can associate groups of
added or multiplied variables together
with parentheses without altering the
truth of the equations.
Distributive Property
illustrating how to expand a Boolean
expression formed by the product of a
sum, and in reverse shows us how terms
may be factored out of Boolean sums-of-
products:
Boolean Simplification
Example:
F=A+AB
=A(1+B) Factoring A out of both
terms
=A(1) Applying identity A+1=1
=A
Therefore:
A+AB=A
F=A+B
F=(A+B)(A+C)
F=AB+BC(B+C)
F=A+B(A+C)+AC