Boolean Algebra

• George Boole lived in England during the time

Abraham Lincoln was getting involved in politics in
the United States. Boole was a mathematician and
logician who developed ways of expressing logical
processes using algebraic symbols, thus creating a
branch of mathematics known as symbolic logic, or
Boolean algebra. Today, all our computers use
Boole's logic system - using microchips that contain
thousands of tiny electronic switches arranged into
logical ‘gates’.

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL, Lhr.

 Boolean Algebra
• Boolean algebra is an algebra for the
manipulation of objects that can take on only
two values, typically true and false, although it
can be any pair of values.
• Because computers are built as collections of
switches that are either “on” or “off,” Boolean
algebra is a very natural way to represent
digital information.

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL, Lhr.

• In reality, digital circuits use low and high
voltages, but for our level of understanding, 0
and 1 will sufficient.
• It is common to interpret the digital value 0 as
false and the digital value 1 as true.

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
A BC

Boolean Addition & Multiplication

• Boolean Addition performed by OR gate
• Sum Term describes Boolean Addition

• Boolean Multiplication performed by AND gate

• Product Term describes Boolean Multiplication

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Boolean Addition

• Sum of literals
A B A B A BC
• Sum term = 1 if any literal = 1
• Sum term = 0 if all literals = 0

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Boolean Multiplication

• Product of literals
A.B A.B A .B.C
• Product term = 1 if all literals = 1
• Product term = 0 if any one literal = 0

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Laws, Rules & Theorems of Boolean
Algebra
• Commutative Law
for addition and multiplication
• Associative Law
for addition and multiplication
• Distributive Law
• Rules of Boolean Algebra
• Demorgan’s Theorems

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Commutative Law
• Commutative Law for Addition
A+B=B+A
A B
A+B A+B

B A

• Commutative Law for Multiplication

A.B = B.A

A B
A.B A.B

B A
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
 Associative Law
• Associative Law for Addition
A + (B + C) = (A + B) + C

A A
A+(B+C)
A+B
B
B
(A+B)+C
B+C C
C M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
 Associative Law
• Associative Law for Multiplication
A.(B.C) = (A.B).C

A A
A.(B.C)
A.B
B
B
(A.B).C
B.C C
C M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
 Distributive Law
A.(B + C) = A.B + A.C

A A
A.(B+C)
A.B
B
B
A A.B+A.C
B+C
C A.C
C
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
 Rules of Boolean Algebra
1. A+0=A 7. A.A = A
2. A+1=1 8. A. A= 0
3. A.0 = 0 9. =A
A
4. A.1 = A 10. A + A.B = A
5. A+A=A 11. A + A.B = A + B
6. A +A= 1 12. (A+B).(A+C)
= A+B.C

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Demorgan’s Theorems

• First Theorem

A .B  A  B
A A
A.B A B
B B
• Second Theorem

A  B  A .B
A A
A B A.B
B
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
B
Lhr.
 Demorgan’s Theorems

• Any number of variables

X.Y .Z  X  Y  Z
X  Y  Z  X.Y .Z
• Combination of variables
( A  B .C ).( A .C  B )  ( A  B .C )  ( A .C  B )
 A .(B .C )  ( A .C ).B  A .(B  C )  ( A  C ).B
 A .B  A .C  A .B  B.C
 A .B  A .C  B.CM.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
Simplification using Boolean Algebra
• AB + A(B+C) + B(B+C)
= AB + AB + AC + BB +BC
= AB + AC + B + BC
= AB + AC + B
= B + AC

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Simplified Circuit
A

AB+A(B+C)+B(B+C)
B

C
B B+AC

A
C
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
 Simplify C+ BC

• C+BC
= C+( B + C )
= ( C+ C )+ B
= 1+B
= 1

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Simplify AB( A+B)(B + B)

• AB( A+B)(B + B)
= AB( A+B)
= (A +B)( A+B)
= A A+AB+B A+BB
= A+AB+B A
= A+A(B+B )
= A +A
= A
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
 Simplify A( A+B)+(B + AA)(A + B )

• A( A+B)+(B + AA)(A + B )
= AA + AB +(B+ A) (A+B)
= AB + BA + BB +AA+AB
= AB + BA+ A+AB
=B(A+A) +A(1+B)
= B+A

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
 Some More Examples

Do your self

M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,

Lhr.
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.
M.Nadeem Akhtar CS & IT Dept. UOL,
Lhr.