A QUICK GUIDE TO BOOLEAN ALGEBRA

BASIC LAWS:

1. Idempotence Law:
(a) X + X = X
(b)X.X = X
2. Involution Law:
(a) X’’ = X
3. Complementarity Law:
(a) X + X’ = 1
(b)XX’ = 0
Converse of complementarity Law:
If P’ is the compliment of P, then P+P’ = 1 AND P.P’ = 0
(this can be used to prove DeMorgans Laws; Let P = X+Y and P’ = X’.Y’)

4. Absorption Law:
(a) X + XY = X
(b)X (X+Y) = X
5. Distributive Law:
(i) X(Y+Z) = XY + XZ
(ii) X + YZ = (X+Y)(X+Z) Very Important for maxterm conversions
6. Third Distributive Law:
X + X’Y = X + Y Replace Z with X’ in 2nd DL

BOOLEAN EXPRESSIONS:

Canonical Expression Boolean expression composed entirely of minterms or

maxterms only.
(a) Sum of Products: minterms
(b) Product of Sums: maxterms

MINTERMS: (ONE IS KING)

1. STATIC FUNCTIONALITY: Convert all things to 1 and multiply

eg: if X=0,Y=1,Z=0  the minterm is X’YZ’ i.e: 0  bar ; 1 non bar
2. DYNAMIC FUNCTIONALITY: every single term has every single variable.
Better def: Every single summed term is a product of every single variable
eg X+Y  the minterm is XY + X’Y + XY’

Shorthand minterm notation:

eg: XY’Z’  100  m4
AB’CD’ + ABCD1010 + 1111m10 +m15  ∑(10,15)

Canonical Sum-of-Products Expression from Truth Table:

eg: Q. For 2 inputs X,Y and output Z:
(i) when X=0 and Y=0 then Z=1
(ii) when X = 0 and Y=1 then Z=0
(iii) when X=1 and Y=0 then Z = 1
(iv) when X = 1 and Y = 1 then Z=1

Consider cases where output is 1 ONLY:

The minterm (SOP Canonical) form is X’Y’ + XY’ + XY (in exam draw truth table)
= m0 + m2 + m3 = ∑(0,2,3)

MAXTERMS: (ZERO IS KING)

1. STATIC FUNCTIONALITY: Convert all things to 0 and add.

eg: if X=0, Y=1, Z=1  the maxterm is X + Y’ + Z’

2. DYNAMIC FUNCTIONALITY: Every single term has only one variable (for one
factor)
Better def: Every single multiplied factor is a sum of every single variable.
eg: METHOD 1: (pg 468)
1. Simplify given expression using appropriate theorems/rules.
2. Convert into pure product of sums(need not have all vars) with each factor
having no internal product eg: (X+Y)(Y)(X+Z’)  use X+YZ = (X+Y)(X+Z)
3. in each term not having all variables add AA’ where A is the missing
variable eg: (X+Y+ZZ’)(Y+XX’ + ZZ’)(X+Z’+YY’)
 4. Simplify each product to pure sum of products(w/ all vars) using X+YZ =
(X+Y)(X+Z)

METHOD 2:
1. Convert to minterms and write as eg: ∑(0,2,3) then the maxterm is
∏(1,4,5,6,7) for 3 var system or ∏(1) for a 2 var system

Shorthand maxterm notation:

eg: (X’+Y+Z)(X’+Y+Z’)(X+Y+Z) = M4 • M5 • M0 = ∏(0,4,5)

Canonical Product-of-Sums Expression from Truth Table:

eg: Same as minterms example except select cases where output is zero ONLY.
the maxterms is  (X + Y’) = M1