ESS418 Research Methods in Social Science

Assignment 1: Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Submit due to: 30. 11. 2015


Student´s name:



1)      What distinguished set-theoretical methods from non-set-theoretical methods?





2)      In fuzzy set analysis, a truth table is produced based on fuzzy data. What does it mean
when we say that a given truth table row contains x number of cases?



3)      Perform Boolean multiplication for the following pairs of expressions and simplify

the result:

a)      (A + B) and (A * B)

b)      (A + B) and (A + B + C)

c)      (A * B) and (~A * ~B)

d)      (A * (B+C)) and (B * (~A+C))


4)      A case has a membership of 1 set A, 0 in set B, 0.6 in set C, 0.9 in set D, and 0.1 in set
E. Calculate its membership in the following Boolean expressions:

a) (A + B + D)

b) (A*B) + (C*~D)

c) ~(A*~B + ~C + D*E)

d) ~((A*~B + ~C) + (D*E))


5)      Minimize the following primitive expressions. Are there any logically redundant

prime implicants?

(A~B~C) + (A~BC) + (~A~B~C) + (~AB~C).

~B~C+ A~B + ~ AB ~ C