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EEE 231
Electronics and Microprocessor

Sheikh Alimur Razi

Lecture 5
Minimization and Karnaugh Maps
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Three-Variable Map

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Three-Variable Map

Four-Variable Map

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Four-Variable Map

Five-Variable Map

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Literal 2.12 Strategy for Minimization

A given product term consists of some number of variables, each of
which may appear either in uncomplemented or complemented
form. Each appearance of a variable, either uncomplemented or
complemented, is called a literal.
For example, the product term x1x2x3 has three literals, and the term
x1x3x4x6 has four literals
Implicant
A product term that indicates the input
valuation(s) for which a given function
is equal to 1 is called an implicant of the
function.
There are 11 implicants

2.12 Strategy for Minimization

Prime Implicant
An implicant is called a prime implicant if it cannot be combined
into another implicant that has fewer literals. Another way of
stating this definition is to say that it is impossible to delete any
literal in a prime implicant and still have a valid implicant.
Cover
A collection of implicants that account for all
valuations for which a given function is equal to
1 is called a cover of that function.
A number of different covers exist for most functions. Obviously, a
set of all minterms for which f = 1 is a cover. It is also apparent
that a set of all prime implicants is a cover.

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2.12.2 Minimization Procedure

Essential Prime Implicant
If a prime implicant includes a minterm for which f = 1 that is not
included in any other prime implicant, then it must be included in
the cover and is called an essential prime implicant.

Prof. Md. Ziaur Rahman Khan, Dept. of EEE , BUET

2.12.2 Minimization Procedure

The process of finding a minimum-cost circuit involves the
following steps:
• Generate all prime implicants for the given function f .
• Find the set of essential prime implicants.
• If the set of essential prime implicants covers all valuations for
which f = 1, then this set is the desired cover of f . Otherwise,
determine the nonessential prime implicants that should be
added to form a complete minimum-cost cover.
The choice of nonessential prime implicants to be included in the
cover is governed by the cost considerations. This choice is often
not obvious. Indeed, for large functions there may exist many
possibilities, and some heuristic approach (i.e., an approach that
considers only a subset of possibilities but gives good results most
of the time) has to be used.

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2.12.2 Minimization Procedure