conjunctive normal form (CNF)
Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF) is a way of structuring logical expressions in propositional logic. In CNF, a formula is expressed as a conjunction (AND) of one or more disjunctions (OR) of literals. A literal is either a variable or its negation. For example, the expression (A OR B) AND (¬C OR D) is in CNF.
CNF is important in computer science, particularly in areas like Boolean algebra and automated theorem proving. Many algorithms, such as SAT solvers, require input in CNF to efficiently determine the satisfiability of logical expressions.