CPCS 222 Discrete Structures I Boolean Algebra

King ABDUL AZIZ University
Faculty Of Computing and

Information Technology
CPCS 222
Discrete Structures I
Boolean Algebra
Dr. Eng. Farag Elnagahy
farahelnagahy@hotmail.com
Office Phone: 67967
Boolean Functions
 Boolean algebra provides the operations and
the rules for working with the set {0, 1}.
 Electronic and optical switches can be

studied using this set and the rules of
Boolean algebra.
We are going to focus on three operations:

• Boolean complementation,
• Boolean sum, and
• Boolean product 2
Boolean Functions and Logic Gates
The complement is
denoted by a bar.
It is defined by
Not Gate “Inverter”
0=1 1=0
The Boolean sum,

denoted by + or by OR
(inclusive OR), has the
following values: OR Gate
1+1=1 1+0=1
0+1=1 0+0=0
3
The Boolean product,
denoted by  or by
AND, has the
AND Gate
following values:
11=1 10=0
01=0 00=0
XOR (exclusive OR)

11=0 10=1 XOR Gate
01=1 00=0
xy =xy+xy
4
NAND and NOR are two very important gates.
Their symbols and truth tables are shown below
NAND NAND
x y = x y
NOR
x  y= x + y
NOR
5
Boolean Functions
6
Boolean Functions
The complement, Boolean sum, and Boolean
product correspond the Logical operators  ,
, and  respectively, where
0 corresponds to F , and 1 corresponds to T.
10+ (0+1)=0
Its logical equivalent is
(T  F)  (F  T)  F
7
Boolean Expressions and Boolean Functions
Definition: Let B = {0, 1}. The variable x is called

a Boolean variable if it assumes values only from
B.
A function from Bn, the set {(x1, x2, …, xn) |xiB,
1  i  n}, to B is called a Boolean function of
degree n.
Boolean functions can be represented using

expressions made up from the variables and
Boolean operations.
8
Example: the function F(x,y)=xy from the set

of ordered pairs of Boolean variable to the
set {0, 1} is a Boolean function of degree 2
with F(1,1)=0, F(1,0)=1, F(0,1)=0, and
F(0,0)=0.
x y F(x,y)
0 0 0
this function 0 1 0
From B2 To B 1 0 1
1 1 0
9
The Boolean expressions in the variables

x1, x2, …, xn are defined recursively as:
 0,1,x1,x2,…,xn are Boolean expressions.

 If E1 and E2 are Boolean expressions, then
E1, E1E2, and E1+E2 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.
10
Example: Find the value of the Boolean function

F(x,y,z)=xy+z (this function From B3 To B)
Definition: The Boolean functions F and G of n

variables are equal if and only if
F(b1, b2, …, bn) = G(b1, b2, …, bn)
whenever b1, b2, …, bn belong to B.
Two different Boolean expressions that represent the
same function are called equivalent.
For example, the Boolean expressions xy, xy+0,
and xy1 are equivalent 11
Example: Find the value of the Boolean function

F(x,y,z)=xy+z (this function From B3 To B)
A Boolean function of degree n can be represented by an

n-cube (hypercube) with the corresponding function value
at each vertex.
110 111
101
100
010
011
000 001
12
The complement of the Boolean function F is the

function F
where F(b1, b2, …, bn) = F(b1, b2, …, bn)
Let F and G be Boolean functions of degree n.

The Boolean sum F+G is defined by
(F+G)(b1,b2,…,bn) = F(b1,b2, …,bn)+G(b1,b2,…,bn)
and Boolean product FG is defined by
(FG)(b1,b2, …,bn) = F(b1,b2, …,bn) G(b1,b2, …,bn)
13
Question: How many different Boolean functions

of degree n are there?
Solution:
There are 2n different n-tuples of 0s and 1s.
A Boolean function is an assignment of 0 or 1 to
each of these 2n different n-tuples.
n
Therefore, there are 2 2
different Boolean
functions.
14
of degree 4 are there? 16
15

of degree 1 are there?
Solution: There are four of them, F1,F2,F3, and
F4
x F1 F2 F3 F4
0 0 0 1 1
1 0 1 0 1
16
Identities of Boolean algebra
17
18
19
20
Identities of Boolean algebra (Duality)
There are useful identities of Boolean expressions that
can help us to transform an expression A into an
equivalent expression B (see previous table)
We can derive additional identities with the help of the
dual of a Boolean expression.
Duality principle
The Boolean equation remains valid if we take the dual
of the expression on both sides of the equals sign.
The dual of a Boolean expression is obtained by
interchanging Boolean sums and Boolean products and
interchanging 0s and 1s.
21
Examples:
The dual of x(y + z) is x + yz
The dual of x1 + (y + z) is (x + 0) ( y . z).
The dual of a Boolean function F represented by a

Boolean expression is the function represented by
the dual of this expression.
This dual function, denoted by Fd, does not depend
on the particular Boolean expression used to
represent F.
22
Therefore, an identity between functions
represented by Boolean expressions remains valid
when the duals of both sides of the identity are
taken.
We can use this fact, called the duality principle,
to derive new identities.
For example, consider the absorption law
x(x + y) = x.
By taking the duals of both sides of this identity,
we obtain the equation x + xy = x, which is also an
identity (and also called an absorption law).
23
Definition of a Boolean Algebra
All the properties of Boolean functions and
expressions that we have discovered also apply to
other mathematical structures such as
propositions and sets and the operations defined on
them.
If we can show that a particular structure is a
Boolean algebra, then we know that all results
established about Boolean algebras apply to this
structure.
For this purpose, we need an abstract definition of
a Boolean algebra.
24
Definition of a Boolean Algebra
Definition: A Boolean algebra is a set B with two
binary operations  and , elements 0 and 1, and a
unary operation – such that the following
properties hold for all x, y, and z in B:
x  0 = x and x  1 = x (identity laws)
x  (x) = 1 and x  (x) = 0 (Complement laws)
(x  y)  z = x  (y  z) and
(x  y)  z = x  (y  z) and (associative laws)
x  y = y  x and x  y = y  x (commutative laws)
x  (y  z) = (x  y)  (x  z) and
x  (y  z) = (x  y)  (x  z) (distributive laws)
25
Exercises
pp. (756-757)
1-3
5
7
9-10
12-13
24-28
26
Representing Boolean Functions
Two important problems of Boolean algebra will
be studied in the next slides:
 Given the value of a Boolean function, how can

a Boolean expression that represents this
function be found?
 Is there a smaller set of operators that can

be used to represent all Boolean functions?
27
Any Boolean function can be represented as a :
 Sum of products (SOP) of variables and their
complements. Disjunctive normal form (DNF)
Sum-of-products Expansions
Or
 Product of sums (POS) of variables and their
complements. Conjunctive normal form (CNF)
Product-of-sums Expansions
28
 A literal is a Boolean variable or its complement.
 A minterm of Boolean variables x1,…,xn is a
Boolean product of n literals y1 y2 …yn, where yi is
either the literal xi or its complement xi.
Note that the minterm y1 y2 …yn has the value 1
Iff each yi is 1.
 A maxterm of Boolean variables x1,…,xn is a

Boolean sum of n literals y1 y2 …yn, where yi is either
the literal xi or its complement xi.
Note that the maxterm y1 y2 …yn has the value 0
Iff each yi is 0. 29
Minterms and maxterms
The table below illustrates the minterms and
maxterms for three input Boolean variables
30
Find Boolean expressions that represent the
function F(A,B,C) which is given in the following
table.
31
Sum-of-products Expansions (DNF)
Product -of- sums Expansions (CNF)
32
33
34
35
For example
36
Example Find a minterm that equal 1 if x1= x3=0
and x2= x4=x5=1 and equals 0 otherwise.
The minterm is x1 x2 x3 x4 x5
Example Find the sum-of-products expansion for

the function F(x,y,z)=(x+y)z (truth table)
F(x,y,z)=(x+y)z
=xz+yz Distributive law
=x1z+1yz Identity law
=x(y+y)z+(x+x)yz Unity law
=xy z+xyz+xyz+xyz Distributive law
=xy z+xyz+xyz Idempotent law 37
 Is there a smaller set of operators that can be used
to represent all Boolean functions?
Every Boolean function can be represented using the
Boolean operators + , . , and . So, we say that the
set {+ , ., } is functionally complete.
We can eliminate all the + using this entity

Then set { ., } is functionally complete.
We can eliminate all the . using this entity

Then set { +, } is functionally complete.
38
 Is there a smaller set of operators that can be used
to represent all Boolean functions?
Both of the sets { } and {} are functionally complete.
NAND x y = x y
NOR
x  y= x + y
x = x  x x = x  x
xy = (x  y)  (x  y) x+y = (x  y)  (x  y)
x+y using NAND how?

xy using NOR
39
Exercises pp. 760

1-6
12-15 40
Combinations of Gates
Logic gates can have one or more inputs
Construct the circuit that produces the following output:
41
Construct the circuit that produces the following output:
42
 A committee of three individuals decides issues for
an organization. Each individual votes either yes or no
for each proposal that arises. A proposal is passed if it
receives at least two yes votes. Design a circuit that
determines whether a proposal passes.
 Sometimes light fixtures are controlled by more than

switch. Circuits needed to be designed so that flipping
any one of the switches for the fixture turns the light
on when it is off and turns the light off when it is on.
Design circuits that accomplish this when there are two
switches and when there are three switches.
43
Combinations of Gates (half adder)
 Combinational logic circuits give us many useful
devices.
 One of the simplest is the half adder, which finds
the sum of two bits.
 We can gain some insight as to the construction of a
half adder by looking at its truth table
44
Combinations of Gates (half adder)
x
y Sum
Carry
45
Combinations of Gates (full adder)
 We can change our half adder into to a full adder by
including gates for processing the carry bit.
 The truth table for a full adder is shown below.
46
Combinations of Gates (full adder)
47
Exercises
pp. (765-766)
1-6
10-11
13-19
48
Minimization of Circuits
Karnaugh Maps
 It is a graphical approach used to simplify a Boolean
function (sum of products expansion).
 Let F(A,B) be a sum-of-products Boolean expression.
To minimize F, we use a rectangular array of two rows
and two columns in which rows and columns are labeled as
follows:
Two variables
22 possible
Minterms.
Each square is called a cell corresponds to a minterm.
Cells are called adjacent if the minterms that they
represent differ in exactly one literal. 49
A two-variables Karnaugh Map
If a minterm is present in F(A,B), then we place a 1 in
the cell corresponding to the minterm, otherwise the
cell is left empty or place a O.
The resulting array is called K-map corresponding to
the expression
50
A two-variables Karnaugh Map
Find Boolean expressions that represent the function
F(A,B) which is given in the following table.
Don’t care condition ? x
51
A Three-variables Karnaugh Map
Use K-Map to find a minimal expansion of the

function, and draw the circuit diagram.
52
A four-variables Karnaugh Map
Use K-Map to find a minimal

expansion of the function, and
draw the circuit diagram.
53
Exercises
pp. (779-780)
1-2
6-7
12
54

CPCS 222 Discrete Structures I Boolean Algebra

Uploaded by

CPCS 222 Discrete Structures I Boolean Algebra

Uploaded by

King ABDUL AZIZ University

Faculty Of Computing and

 Electronic and optical switches can be

We are going to focus on three operations:

The Boolean sum,

XOR (exclusive OR)

Definition: Let B = {0, 1}. The variable x is called

Boolean functions can be represented using

Example: the function F(x,y)=xy from the set

The Boolean expressions in the variables

 0,1,x1,x2,…,xn are Boolean expressions.

Each Boolean expression represents a Boolean

Example: Find the value of the Boolean function

Definition: The Boolean functions F and G of n

Example: Find the value of the Boolean function

A Boolean function of degree n can be represented by an

The complement of the Boolean function F is the

Let F and G be Boolean functions of degree n.

Question: How many different Boolean functions

Question: How many different Boolean functions

The dual of a Boolean function F represented by a

 Given the value of a Boolean function, how can

 Is there a smaller set of operators that can

 A maxterm of Boolean variables x1,…,xn is a

Product -of- sums Expansions (CNF)

Example Find the sum-of-products expansion for

We can eliminate all the + using this entity

We can eliminate all the . using this entity

x+y using NAND how?

Exercises pp. 760

Construct the circuit that produces the following output:

 Sometimes light fixtures are controlled by more than

Don’t care condition ? x

Use K-Map to find a minimal expansion of the

Use K-Map to find a minimal

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