Application of Boolean Algebra to Digital Circuit Design in Computer Science Laboratories in Kogi State Polytechnic

Digital circuit design education at Kogi State Polytechnic in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria, requires students to bridge the conceptual gap between abstract Boolean algebra and practical hardware implementation in logic gate configurations. This study investigates the effectiveness of integrating Boolean algebra simplification techniques, specifically Karnaugh mapping and the Quine-McCluskey method, into the design of combinational logic circuits within the Computer Science laboratory curriculum. A comparative study is conducted involving 80 students divided into a treatment group receiving structured Boolean minimisation training and a control group following the conventional design approach. Circuit design problems encompassing half adder, full adder, BCD decoder, and 7-segment display driver implementations are assigned to both groups. Performance is evaluated on the basis of gate count reduction achieved, circuit propagation delay calculated from simplified expressions, and examination scores. Results indicate that the treatment group achieves a mean gate count reduction of 37 percent relative to unsimplified designs and scores 14 percentage points higher on subsequent circuit design assessments. The Quine-McCluskey method produces marginally superior minimisation for circuits with more than four input variables. The study recommends embedding formal Boolean minimisation into the polytechnic curriculum as a required module preceding hardware laboratory sessions. Keywords: Boolean algebra, Karnaugh mapping, digital circuit design, Kogi State Polytechnic, combinational logic.