In canonical forms, assess the statement: “The product-of-sums (POS) is basically the ORing of ANDed terms.”

Introduction / Context:
Canonical Boolean forms are widely used in analysis, simplification, and hardware realization. Two key canonical forms are sum-of-products (SOP) and product-of-sums (POS). This question probes whether you can distinguish their structural definitions and not confuse the operator hierarchy involved in each form.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• SOP consists of ORing multiple product (AND) terms.
• POS consists of ANDing multiple sum (OR) terms.
• Operators: + is OR, * is AND (often omitted in writing).

Concept / Approach:
By definition, POS is the AND of sums (OR terms). The statement claims it is the OR of ANDed terms, which actually describes SOP. Therefore, the statement swaps the roles of SOP and POS and is incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard textbooks and logic design courses define POS as a conjunction (product) of maxterms (which are sums), while SOP is a disjunction (sum) of minterms (which are products). This cross-check reinforces the conclusion.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Correct: Conflicts with canonical definitions.
• Ambiguous as stated: The phrasing is explicit; no ambiguity about operators.
• Cannot be determined: Definitions are fixed; no extra data needed.

Common Pitfalls:
Memorizing acronyms without internalizing structure. A quick mnemonic: SOP = Sum (OR) of Products (AND); POS = Product (AND) of Sums (OR).

Final Answer:
Incorrect