6 Karrnaugh Map

Karnaugh Map (K-Map):
Karnaugh map provides a systematic method for simplifying Boolean

expression. The simplified expressed (SOP or POS) is called the minimum
expression.
The Karnaugh map is similar to truth table because it presents all the
possible values of input variables and the resulting output for each value.
It is organized as an array of cells in which each cell represents a binary

value of the input variables. Simplification of expressions can be done by
the proper grouping of cells.
K-Map can be used to simplify Boolean expressions with 2, 3 or 4 variables.

So we call them as 2 variable K-map, 3 variable K-Map or 4 variable K-
Map.
The number of cells in a K-Map is equal to the total number of possible
input variable combinations. This is equivalent to the number of rows in a
truth table.
For a 2 variable K-Map, the number of cells = 2n = 22 = 4.

The 2 variable K-Map: It is an array of 4 cells. The variables are ‘a’ and ‘b’
a\b b’ b a\b 0 1
a’ 00 01 0 00 01
a 10 11 1 10 11
Each cell value is called a minterm.

The 3 variable K-Map: It is an array of 8 cells. The variables are ‘a’ , ‘b’,
‘c’ are used. This can be expressed as follows:
ab\c 0 1 a\bc 00 01 10 11
00 a’b’c’ a’b’c 0 000 001 010 011
01 a’bc’ a’bc 1 100 101 110 111
10 ab’c’ ab’c
11 abc’ abc
The 4 variable K-Map: It is an array of 8 cells. The variables are ‘a’ , ‘b’,
‘c’ , ‘d’ are used. This can be expressed as follows:
ab\cd 00 01 10 11
00 a’b’c’d’ a’b’c’d a’b’cd’ a’b’cd
01 a’bc’d’ a’bc’d a’bcd’ a’bcd
10 ab’c’d’ ab’c’d ab’cd’ ab’cd
11 abc’d’ abc’d abcd’ abcd
ab\cd 00 01 10 11
00 0000 0001 0010 0011
01 0100 0101 0110 0111
10 1000 1001 1010 1011
11 1100 1101 1110 1111
K-Map minimization of Boolean expressions:
Minimization of SOP expressions:
It consists of following 3 steps:
1. Mapping a standard SOP expression: For each product term in the

expression, 1 is placed in the cells corresponding to the value of the product
term.
2. Grouping the 1’s: Adjacent cells that contain 1 are grouped. Groups are
done so as to maximize the size of the groups and to minimize the number
of groups. A group must have either 1,2,4,8 or 16 cells, each being some
power of 2.
Overlapping, Rolling and Redundant group may occur.
3. Summing the resultant product terms: The product terms corresponding to

each of the groups are written. The variable that changes from the
complemented to un-complemented form or vice-versa is eliminated.
Example: Use K-Map to minimize the expression x’yz’ + xy’z’ + xyz’ + xyz
This expression has 3 variables x,y,z. So 3 variable K-Map should be drawn.
x\yz 00 01 10 11
0 0 0 1 0
1 1 0 1 1
The first term is x’yz’ = 010. The second term is xy’z’ = 100
The third term is xyz’ = 110.The fourth term is xyz = 111
The cells are filled with 1’s.

Groups are formed as follows: (x’yz’ , xyz’) = yz’
(xyz’ , xyz) = xy
(xy’z’ , xyz) = x
Final minimum SOP expression is x + xy + yz’
Minimization of POS expressions:
It consists of following 3 steps:
1. Mapping a standard POS expression: For each sum term in the

expression, 0 is placed in the cells corresponding to the value of the product
term.
2. Grouping the 0’s: Adjacent cells that contain 0 are grouped. Groups are
done so as to maximize the size of the groups and to minimize the number
of groups. A group must have either 1,2,4,8 or 16 cells, each being some
power of 2.
3. Multiplying the resultant sum terms: The sum terms corresponding to

each of the groups are written. The variable that changes from the
complemented to un-complemented form or vice-versa is eliminated.
Example: Use K-Map to minimize the POS expression
(x+y’+z) (x+y’+z’) (x’+y+z) (x’+y+z’)
This expression has 3 variables x,y,z. So 3 variable K-Map should be drawn.

x\yz 00 01 10 11
0 1 1 0 0
1 0 0 1 1
The first term is x+y’+z = 010. The second term is x+y’+z’ = 011
The third term is x’+y+z = 100. The fourth term is x’+y+z’ = 101
The cells are filled with 0’s.

Groups are formed as follows: (x+y’+z , x+y’+z’) = x+y’
(x’+y+z , x’+y+z’) = x’+y
Final minimum POS expression is (x+y’) (x’+y)
Don’t Care Condition:
This is used to simplify the expressions in more simplified manner. It is used

when certain input combinations are not allowed.
While making groups it may happen that we can’t make groups efficiently,
so in such cases we assign a 0 or 1 to one more adjacent cell by which we
can make a big group, so that the expression is more simplified.
For Example: using K-Map simplify the expression:
a’bc’d + a’bcd’ + a’bcd
A 4 variable K-Map is drawn, with variables a,b,c,d. It has 16 cells.

ab\cd 00 01 10 11
00
01 1 1 1 1
10
11
Without using don’t care term, we can have two groups:

(a’bc’d + a’bcd’) = a’b (a’bcd’ + a’bcd) = a’bc
Resultant expression will be: a’b + a’bc
By using don’t care term a’bc’d’, we can group as below:

(a’bc’d’ + a’bc’d + a’bcd’ + a’bcd)
Resultant expression will be : a’b.
EXAMPLE
 Minimize the following Boolean function using
sum of products (SOP):
 f(a,b,c,d) = m(3,7,11,12,13,14,15)
abcd
3 0011 a`b`cd
7 0111 a`bcd
11 1011 ab`cd
12 1100 abc`d`
13 1101 abc`d
14 1110 abcd`
15 1111 abcd
EXAMPLE
f(a,b,c,d) = m(3,7,11,12,13,14,15)
=a`b`cd + a`bcd + ab`cd + abc`d`+ abc`d + abcd` + abcd
=cd(a`b` + a`b + ab`) + ab(c`d` + c`d + cd` + cd )
=cd(a`[b` + b] + ab`) + ab(c`[d` + d] + c[d` + d])
=cd(a`[1] + ab`) + ab(c`[1] + c[1])
=ab+ab`cd + a`cd
=ab+cd(ab` + a`)
=ab+ cd(a + a`)(a`+b`)
= ab + a`cd + b`cd
= ab +cd(a` + b`)

6 Karrnaugh Map

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Karnaugh Map (K-Map):

Karnaugh map provides a systematic method for simplifying Boolean

It is organized as an array of cells in which each cell represents a binary

K-Map can be used to simplify Boolean expressions with 2, 3 or 4 variables.

For a 2 variable K-Map, the number of cells = 2n = 22 = 4.

Each cell value is called a minterm.

01 a’bc’ a’bc 1 100 101 110 111

Minimization of SOP expressions:

It consists of following 3 steps:

1. Mapping a standard SOP expression: For each product term in the

3. Summing the resultant product terms: The product terms corresponding to

This expression has 3 variables x,y,z. So 3 variable K-Map should be drawn.

The cells are filled with 1’s.

It consists of following 3 steps:

1. Mapping a standard POS expression: For each sum term in the

3. Multiplying the resultant sum terms: The sum terms corresponding to

This expression has 3 variables x,y,z. So 3 variable K-Map should be drawn.

The cells are filled with 0’s.

This is used to simplify the expressions in more simplified manner. It is used

A 4 variable K-Map is drawn, with variables a,b,c,d. It has 16 cells.

Without using don’t care term, we can have two groups:

By using don’t care term a’bc’d’, we can group as below:

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