(POGIL) Consider these three things: The OR gate (i.e., the physical circuit), the Boolean OR function (as defined by its truth table), and the OR symbol. How would arrange them from most abstract to least abstract? And what criterion would you use to determine their order?
Answer
OR gate is a low-level abstraction as it is the physical circuit itself; the Boolean OR function is the mid-level abstraction as it is an abstraction of the physical behavior on the truth table; and the OR symbol is a high-level abstraction as it is a detailed symbol depicting the action.
Consider these three things: A binary digit (e.g., 1 or 0), the flip-flop circuit diagram (), and the flip-flop circuit (i.e., the physical circuit). How would you arrange them from most abstract to least abstract and what criterion would you use to determine their order?
Answer
The flip-flop circuit would be a low-level abstraction as it is the physical circuit itself; the binary digit would be a mid-level abstraction as it is a number replacing another number; and the flip-flop circuit chart would be a high-level abstraction as it is a detailed symbolic representation in image format of the circuit itself.