"retarted" -- is that when you put the astringency back into a worn-out persimmon? Or does it have to do with a lady of the evening who is getting back into the profession after a short hiatus?
Yes, considering the the simplification of Boolean expressions is a major part of the software for implementing a lot of custom programmed ICs, I'd think it a major part of the profession/hobby. I had it as an integral part of my digital logic fundamentals course, and getting an expression into the "sum-of-the-products" form for playing with a Karnaugh map was commonplace. Unfortunately, although a Karnaugh map can work miracles on simplification, it does have its limitations, e.g., XOR expressions always hang them up into a checkerboard pattern that cannot be simplified.
Dean