George Boole and Boolean algebra (Q269647)

This paper surveys Boole's often-neglected introduction of the numbers 0 and 1 as part of the foundation of his algebra of logic in his 1854 book \textit{An investigation of the laws of thought on which are founded the mathematical theories of logic and probabilities}. The author looks at how this admittedly puzzling move was obscured as Boole's work was rewritten, most notably by \textit{E. Schröder} in the 1890s [Vorlesungen über die Algebra der Logik. I--III. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner (1890--1895; JFM 22.0073.02; JFM 23.0051.02; JFM 26.0074.01)], until it was recovered by \textit{T. Hailperin} in 1976 [Boole's logic and probability. Amsterdam New York Oxford: North-Holland Publishing Company (1976; Zbl 0352.02002)] and further elucidated by the author of this paper in a series of articles. Also noted is \textit{H. Whitney}'s independent discovery of the method in 1933 [Ann. Math. (2) 34, 405--414 (1933; Zbl 0007.19402; JFM 59.0051.05)], although Whitney was unaware that it had been described already by Boole himself.