Boolean Algebra and Its Applications (Dover Books on Computer Science)

I saw some reviews on here that said the writing was "turgid" and "dry". Respectfully, I'm not sure what these reviewers expected from a math book. The most important feature to look for in a math book is clarity and this book definitely delivers. I found the Venn diagrams at the beginning of the book incredibly helpful in gaining an intuitive feel for the algebra of logic and I was blown away to learn that all logical reasoning (of the type "If p then q" or "If not p or r then q and s or w", etc.) as well as other theories (set theory, for instance) could be boiled down to four axioms. I originally bought this book because I wanted to better understand how computers work and I knew Boolean algebra had something to do with it. This book does a very good job of explaining different types of circuitry and some applications but it won't really give you an understanding of computers. This, of course, is an unfair criticism since the book was written in the early 60's and never claims to be about computers. But for anyone out there who is like me and is looking for books about the nuts and bolts of computers, I would recommend J. Clark Scott's "But How Do It Know?". Getting back to this book, you will learn about set theory, you will learn about logic, you will learn about circuitry, you will learn how Boolean algebra connects all of them, and you may even enjoy working out some of the problems. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent Coverage of Boolean Algebra and its ApplicationsPage 10, theorem is the foundation of probability theory. Every union can be represented as a disjoint union. |A+B| = |A| + |!AB|, here !A is not A, then |A+B+C|=|A| +|!AB| + |!A!BC|. etc.. And, a nice introduction to the probability of finite sample spaces.

Arrived as advertised

Not much to say about math

Any book on this topic is meant to be dry and boring. But this book attempts to be intuitive and somewhat fun. Instead of only listing theorems and examples..it attempts to get the student to reach a more abstract understanding.

While dated, the practical application and abstraction of applied Boolean is wanting with this book. Instead, I went to "Logic and Computer Design Fundamentals" by Mano & Kime, (c) 1997 for a more useful book.

Boolean Algebra is logic programming. AND, NOT, OR and the like for automation and micro chip gates.This book appears to be plain old algebra.Why they charged me for two and sent two, I have no idea.

This is by far one of the best math books in the Dover catalogue. While the prose is admittedly dry, the clarity of the exposition is flawless. The author begins his discussion with a chapter on set theory and wisely takes an intuitive appraoch rather than a theoretical one. This makes the second chapter, which gives an axiomatic account of the fundamentals of Boolean algebra, much easier to digest. Once you master the first two chapters, the rest of the books is smooth sailing. From here the author gives detailed, yet succinct, accounts of the applicatons of Boolean algebra to symbolic logic, switching circuits, relay circuits, binary arithmetic, and probability theory. Although the book is aimed primarily at math, computer science, and electrical engineering majors, it accessible to anyone who is comfortable with college level mathematics. It is especially helpful to the philosophy student who wishes to learn about symbolic logic and its applications to the foundations of computer science.