Form identification (SOP vs. others): Determine whether the Boolean expression A'B + AB' is in sum-of-products (SOP) form. Justify your classification.

Introduction / Context:
Being able to recognize canonical forms accelerates simplification and hardware mapping. SOP (sum-of-products) means an OR (sum) of one or more product terms, where each product term is an AND of literals (variables or their complements).

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Expression: F = A'B + AB'.
• Literal is a variable or its complement (e.g., A or A').
• Product term is a logical AND of literals; sum is a logical OR of product terms.

Concept / Approach:
Check each term: A'B is a product (A' AND B). AB' is also a product (A AND B'). The entire expression is the sum (OR) of these two products. Therefore it fits SOP.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Attempt POS recognition: POS requires a product (AND) of sum terms like (A + B)(A' + B'); our expression does not match that template, confirming SOP classification.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing SOP with POS; overlooking that literals can be complemented and still be part of valid product terms; assuming canonical form must include all variables in every term (not required for non-canonical SOP).

Final Answer:
Correct