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In mathematics and
abstract algebra In mathematics, more specifically algebra, abstract algebra or modern algebra is the study of algebraic structures. Algebraic structures include groups, rings, fields, modules, vector spaces, lattices, and algebras over a field. The te ...
, a Boolean domain is a set consisting of exactly two elements whose interpretations include ''false'' and ''true''. In
logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premis ...
, mathematics and
theoretical computer science Theoretical computer science (TCS) is a subset of general computer science and mathematics that focuses on mathematical aspects of computer science such as the theory of computation, lambda calculus, and type theory. It is difficult to circumsc ...
, a Boolean domain is usually written as , or \mathbb. The algebraic structure that naturally builds on a Boolean domain is the Boolean algebra with two elements. The initial object in the
category Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally * Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) * Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) ...
of bounded lattices is a Boolean domain. In
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includin ...
, a Boolean variable is a variable that takes values in some Boolean domain. Some programming languages feature reserved words or symbols for the elements of the Boolean domain, for example false and true. However, many programming languages do not have a Boolean datatype in the strict sense. In C or
BASIC BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
, for example, falsity is represented by the number 0 and truth is represented by the number 1 or −1, and all variables that can take these values can also take any other numerical values.


Generalizations

The Boolean domain can be replaced by the unit interval , in which case rather than only taking values 0 or 1, any value between and including 0 and 1 can be assumed. Algebraically, negation (NOT) is replaced with 1-x, conjunction (AND) is replaced with multiplication (xy), and disjunction (OR) is defined via De Morgan's law to be 1-(1-x)(1-y)=x+y-xy. Interpreting these values as logical truth values yields a multi-valued logic, which forms the basis for fuzzy logic and probabilistic logic. In these interpretations, a value is interpreted as the "degree" of truth – to what extent a proposition is true, or the probability that the proposition is true.


See also

* Boolean-valued function * GF(2)


References


Further reading

*

(455 pages

(NB. Contains extended versions of the best manuscripts from the 10th International Workshop on Boolean Problems held at the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany on 2012-09-19/21.) * (480 pages

(NB. Contains extended versions of the best manuscripts from the 11th International Workshop on Boolean Problems held at the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany on 2014-09-17/19.) *

(536 pages

(NB. Contains extended versions of the best manuscripts from the 12th International Workshop on Boolean Problems held at the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany on 2016-09-22/23.) * (vii+265+7 pages

(NB. Contains extended versions of the best manuscripts from the 13th International Workshop on Boolean Problems (IWSBP 2018) held in Bremen, Germany on 2018-09-19/21.) * {{cite book , editor-first1=Rolf , editor-last1=Drechsler , editor-link1=Rolf Drechsler , editor-first2=Daniel , editor-last2=Große , title=Recent Findings in Boolean Techniques - Selected Papers from the 14th International Workshop on Boolean Problems , publisher=
Springer Nature Switzerland AG Springer Nature or the Springer Nature Group is a German-British academic publishing company created by the May 2015 merger of Springer Science+Business Media and Holtzbrinck Publishing Group's Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, and Macm ...
, edition=1 , date=2021-04-30 , isbn=978-3-030-68070-1 , doi= (204 pages

(NB. Contains extended versions of the best manuscripts from the 14th International Workshop on Boolean Problems (IWSBP 2020) held COVID-19, virtually on 2020-09-24/25.) Boolean algebra