Cognitive Complexity of Boolean Problems

Assessing the level of complexity of Boolean problems takes into account factors of: a) complexity of an initial representation of a Boolean concept; b) characteristics of a specific type of basic blocks used for implementing the Boolean concept; and c) optimization criteria (such as: hardware minimization, power minimization, testability, security etc.). While the above factors are widely known and well studied, cognitive complexity of Boolean problems was never considered as a factor. At the same time, the problem of human concept learning is an established research area. The problem of Boolean concepts learning by humans is especially interesting since it studies human understanding of modern digital environment. The cognitive complexity is the main issue in this field. Our paper focuses on the problem of assessing the cognitive complexity of Boolean problems; reviews known research results and proposes a conceptual framework for future research in the corresponding field.