# Why are there so many different, and widely accepted, notational systems for boolean logic?

I can write out the following CNF in various different ways:

In mathematical textbook notation: $$(A \land B \land C) \lor (\lnot A \land B \land \lnot C)$$

In C-like programming notation: (A && B && C) || (!A && B && !C)

In engineering logic notation: $$(ABC) + (\overline{A}B\overline{C})$$

So, I guess my question is in the title: why do we have so many different systems of boolean logic notation when boolean logic as a field is quite a recent invention?

• Then there is the system using dots instead of parentheses. see math.stackexchange.com/q/311871/442 – Gerald Edgar Jan 5 at 13:04
• Why not? Boolean logic is used in many different fields for many different purposes, and each adopts the notation that suits their needs best. They also have different historical roots, the more algebraic notation goes back to Boole, the one with conjunctions and disjunctions to mathematical logic, and programming languages generally introduce many notational variations. – Conifold Jan 5 at 20:40