Boolean Expressions, Logic Gates, and Hardware Foundations

Vocabulary flashcards covering Boolean expressions, logic gates, transistor implementation, and historical origins.

Inclusive OR

A logical operation where both inputs being true still evaluates to true.

De Morgan's Laws

Rules used to recognize two conditions that look different but behave identically; when moving the NOT onto each term, the operator must be flipped (AND becomes OR, and OR becomes AND).

Double negative (Boolean logic)

The simplification rule stating that $\text{NOT}(\text{NOT}(b))$ is just $b$.

Small circle (logic gate symbol)

A symbol feature on a logic gate that designates an invert operation.

Switches in series

A circuit arrangement that acts as a logical AND operation.

Switches in parallel

A circuit arrangement that acts as a logical OR operation.

Transistor

A switching device operated by electricity rather than by a finger, making computers possible.

Cutoff and saturation

The two operational regions of a transistor used by a computer to represent binary values.

George Boole

The mathematician who invented Boolean algebra in 1854 with no computers in mind.

Claude Shannon

The researcher who, in 1937, noticed that a relay is open or closed just as a statement is false or true, allowing circuits to be designed with algebra instead of guesswork.