Boolean algebra is the subarea of algebra in which the values of the variables are the truth-values true and

false, usually denoted 1 and 0 respectively. Instead of elementary algebra where the values of the variables are numbers, and the main operations are addition and multiplication, the main operations of Boolean algebra are the conjunction and, denoted , the disjunction or, denoted , and the negation not, denoted . Boolean algebra has been fundamental in the development of computer science and digital logic. Values In elementary algebra expressions denote mainly numbers, in Boolean algebra they denote the truth-values false and true. These values are represented with the bits (or binary digits) being 0 and 1. They do not behave like the integers 0 and 1, for which 1 + 1 = 2, but may be identified with the elements of the two-element field GF (2), for which 1 + 1 = 0 with + serving as the Boolean operation XOR. Boolean algebra also deals with functions, which have their values in the set {0, 1}. A sequence of bits is a commonly used such function. Operations The basic operations of Boolean algebra are: And (conjunction), denoted xy (sometimes x AND y or Kxy), satisfies xy = 1 if x = y = 1 and xy = 0 otherwise. Or (disjunction), denoted xy (sometimes x OR y or Axy), satisfies xy = 0 if x = y = 0 and xy = 1 otherwise. Not (negation), denoted x (sometimes NOT x, Nx or !x), satisfies x = 0 if x = 1 and x = 1 if x = 0. If the truth-values 0 and 1 are interpreted as integers, these operations may be expressed with the ordinary operations of the arithmetic: xy = xy, xy = x + y - xy, x = 1 - x. Alternatively, the values of xy, xy, and x can be expressed by tabulating their values with truth tables as follows.
x 0 1 0 1 y 0 0 1 1 Truth tables x xy xy 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 x 1 0