Talk:Boolean

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Would an entry on the use of Boolean operators in databases, search engines and library catalogs fit under this heading as well?

There's a discussion going on at Boolean algebra that needs to be taken into account on this page as well. Basically there's an ambiguity between "Boolean algebra" as a calculus; that is, a notation and rules for manipulating the notation, and a Boolean algebra, which is a mathematical structure satisfying certain axioms. This page assumes that we're discussing the first notion, yet links to a page primarily concerned with the second. In particular the passage

Boolean involves only the two logical values: TRUE (1) and FALSE (0)

is simply mistaken when discussing the second notion. --Trovatore 18:02, 5 September 2005 (UTC)Reply

I've tried to make this look more like a standard dab page. It may still not be perfect (not sure what to do with the boolean-valued function line).

Please don't add actual content here; save that for the specific article. Adjectives rarely make good article titles; a disambiguation page is all that should ever be here. --Trovatore 16:14, 21 September 2005 (UTC)Reply

It seems than it's also spelled Boolian. Is this correct? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 85.130.107.83 (talk • contribs) 20:25, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

I would say no. But I might have to change my mind if you can find it in a reputable source, other than a typo. --Trovatore 21:12, 6 March 2006 (UTC)Reply

I first found it in the Lisp 1.5 Programmer's manual, there both boolean and boolian are used. Searching google shows that both are in use. Other two links where both spellings are used: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics, A catalogue and guide to the Charles S. Peirce Papers

I believe that the spelling of "boolean" should be standardized to be de-capitalized when used in a sentence. Example:

Boolean algebra simplifies circuits. However, they are expressed in boolean expression.

The word "boolean" appears to be derived from the person's name George Boole, and just like "diesel" is derived from the person Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel, "volt" from the person Volta, and so on. ChyranandChloe (talk) 02:23, 19 May 2008 (UTC)Reply

Well, language isn't always as neatly regular as you might like it to be. The standard usage in mathematics has a capital B, therefore we use a capital B. In computer science, sometimes it's lowercase, and that's OK too. --Trovatore (talk) 05:52, 19 May 2008 (UTC)Reply