Mathematical Theory of Switching Circuits and Automata

By applying Boolean algebra to the designing of circuits, C. E. Shannon practically created the switching theory which is necessary to the development of electronic computers. For the next three decades much research was done and most of the major problems of logical design were solved. Recent interest having focused on the purely theoretical aspects of computer and logical networks, Hu now believes that the time has come for a consolidation of the mathematical foundations of the subject. In the present book the author accordingly undertakes to establish a new branch of pure mathematics with a uniform notation and terminology by organizing the past research results into a form usable to both mathematicians and engineers, while simplifying theory by stripping it of complex "hardware" considerations as well as of all unnecessary advanced mathematics. A number of exercises have been provided at the end of each chapter. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1968.