What Does 'NAND' Mean?

The word NAND' is used for the term 'not and' and the word is typically used in a logical operator which consists of a logical 'And' and is followed by a logical 'Not'. The operator returns a false value only in the case where both the operands are true. The abovementioned context of the word is used only in Boolean algebra and digital electronics. In the ordinary language the word conveys the meaning of 'not both'.

The operator is believed as one of the numerous sole sufficient operators that are used to express almost all of the Boolean functions that are considered as the subject matter of the propositional logic. 'NAND' is considered as one of the two binary operators of propositional logic that are functionally complete.

For those who do not know what this is all about, NAND is one of the "operands", like +, -, etc which are used in computer programming languages, and are also embedded into the electronic chips which run the computer. When used there, they are often called "logic gateways" rather than operands. In order to be able to use logic, computers have to reduce options like "If x is true then y is false but z is also true to mathematical formulae in order for the computer to cope. AND, NOT and NAND are three of the logical operands used as opposed to the mathematical operands like + and -. It is this capacity to use logical operands as well as mathematical ones that makes a computer so much more than a calculator.

We studied NAND in logic circuits, and it is a combination of AND and OR operation, but the circuit is composed of several AND or several OR or a combination of both circuits ^^