Minimize the following boolean equation.

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shamieh
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Minimize the following Boolean Equation. Write out the simplified formula (SOP FORM).

Need someone to check this. I got the answer wrong somehow.

$f${w,x,y,z) = $$w*x + w * \bar{x} + w * z + x * y$$

My answer:
$$=(wx + w\bar{x})(wz + xy)
=w(x + \bar{x})
=w * 1 = w(wz + xy) = wz + xy$$
 
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shamieh said:
$f${w,x,y,z) = $$w*x + w * \bar{x} + w * z + x * y$$

My answer:
$$=(wx + w\bar{x})(wz + xy)[/math]
I don't understand why you replaced + between $(wx+w\bar{x})$ and $(wz+xy)$ in the original expression with * in the second expression. Which operation is in the problem statement?

shamieh said:
$$=w(x + \bar{x})
=w * 1$$
What happened to $(wz+xy)$? When you write =, it should indeed mean "equal", not "I will work on one subexpression and later return to the other one".

shamieh said:
$$w(wz + xy) = wz + xy$$
Here you return the second factor $(wz+xy)$.
 
So what's the solution? Because I'm lost.
 
I would do
\begin{align*}
f&=wx + w \bar{x} + wz + xy \qquad \text{(original expression)} \\
&=w(x+ \bar{x})+wz+xy \qquad \text{(distribution law)} \\
&=w \cdot 1+wz+xy \qquad \text{(complementation or excluded middle)} \\
&=w+wz+xy \qquad \text{(identity for $\cdot$)} \\
&=w+xy \qquad \text{(absorption law)}.
\end{align*}
 
Wow ach, thank you so much!