Quine-McClusky

Minimization Method
By Er. Avadhesh Dixit
 Introduction
• Quine-McClukey tabular method is a tabular
method based on the concept of prime implicants.
Prime implicant is a product or sum term, which
can’t be further reduced by combining with any
other product or sum terms of the given Boolean
function.
• This tabular method is useful to get the prime
implicants by repeatedly using the following
Boolean identity.
• xy + xy’ = x(y+y′) = x.1 = x
 Quine-McCluskey Method
• Tabular Representations
• Prime Implicants
• Essential Prime Implicants
 PROCESS STEPs
1. Arrange the given min terms in an ascending
order and make the groups based on the number of
ones present in their binary representations. So, there
will be at most ‘n+1’ groups if there are ‘n’ Boolean
variables in a Boolean function or ‘n’ bits in the
binary equivalent of min terms.
2. Compare the min terms present in successive groups.
If there is a change in only one-bit position, then take
the pair of those two min terms. Place this symbol ‘-’
in the differed bit position and keep the remaining
bits as it is.
 PROCESS STEPs
3- Repeat step2 with newly formed terms till we get
all prime implicants.
4- Formulate the prime implicant table. It consists of
set of rows and columns. Prime implicants can be
placed in row wise and min terms can be placed in
column wise. Place ‘1’ in the cells corresponding
to the min terms that are covered in each prime
implicant.
 PROCESS STEPs
5- Find the essential prime implicants by observing
each column. If the min term is covered only by one
prime implicant, then it is essential prime implicant.
6- Reduce the prime implicant table by removing the
row of each essential prime implicant and the
columns corresponding to the min terms that are
covered in that essential prime implicant. Repeat
step 5 for Reduced prime implicant table. Stop this
process when all min terms of given Boolean
function are over.
 Example-1

f(W,X,Y,Z)=∑m(2,6,8,9,10,11,14,15)
using Quine-McClukey tabular method.
• The given Boolean function is in sum of min
terms form. It is having 4 variables W, X, Y
& Z. The given min terms are 2, 6, 8, 9, 10,
11, 14 and 15.
 The ascending order of min terms based on the
number of ones present in their binary equivalent is
2, 8, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15.

Min terms W X Y Z Group Min terms W X Y Z

Name
2 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 1 0
6 0 1 1 0 GA1
8 1 0 0 0
8 1 0 0 0
6 0 1 1 0
9 1 0 0 1
GA2 9 1 0 0 1
10 1 0 1 0
10 1 0 1 0
11 1 0 1 1
11 1 0 1 1
14 1 1 1 0 GA3
14 1 1 1 0
15 1 1 1 1
GA4 15 1 1 1 1
possible merging of min terms from adjacent groups. The min terms,
which are differed in only one-bit position from adjacent groups are
merged. That differed bit is represented with this symbol, ‘-‘.

Group Min terms W X Y Z Group Min terms W X Y Z

Name Name

2,6 0 - 1 0
2 0 0 1 0
GA1 2,10 - 0 1 0
8 1 0 0 0 GB1
8,9 1 0 0 -
6 0 1 1 0
8,10 1 0 - 0
GA2 9 1 0 0 1
6,14 - 1 1 0
10 1 0 1 0
9,11 1 0 - 1
GB2
11 1 0 1 1 10,11 1 0 1 -
GA3
14 1 1 1 0 10,14 1 - 1 0
GA4 15 1 1 1 1 11,15 1 - 1 1
GB3
The following table shows the possible merging of min term pairs from
adjacent groups

Group Min terms W X Y Z Group Min terms WX Y Z

Name Name

2,6 0 - 1 0 2,6,10,14 - - 1 0
2,10 - 0 1 0
GB1 2,10,6,14 - - 1 0
8,9 1 0 0 -
GC1
8,10 1 0 - 0 8,9,10,11 1 0 - -

6,14 - 1 1 0
8,10,9,11 1 0 - -
9,11 1 0 - 1
GB2
10,11 1 0 1 - 10,11,14,15 1 - 1 -
GC2
10,14 1 - 1 0
10,14,11,15 1 - 1 -
11,15 1 - 1 1
GB3
14,15 1 1 1 -
The reduced table after removing the redundant rows
is shown below

Group Min terms WX Y Z Group Min terms W X Y Z

Name Name

2,6,10,14 - - 1 0
GD1 2,6,10,14 - - 1 0
2,10,6,14 - - 1 0
8,9,10,11 1 0 - -
GC1
8,9,10,11 1 0 - -
GD2 10,11,14,15 1 - 1 -

8,10,9,11 1 0 - -

10,11,14,15 1 - 1 -

GC2
10,14,11,15 1 - 1 -
1- The prime implicant table is shown below.
2- 1s are placed in the common cells of prime implicant rows and
the corresponding min term columns.
3- The min terms 2 and 6 are covered only by one prime
implicant YZ’ so, it is an essential prime implicant and will be part
of simplified Boolean function.
4-Now, remove this prime implicant row and the corresponding
min term columns. The reduced prime implicant table in next slide.

Min terms / Prime 2 6 8 9 10 11 14 15

Implicants
YZ’ 1 1 1 1
WX’ 1 1 1 1
WY 1 1 1 1
1- The min terms 8 and 9 are covered only by one prime
implicant WX’. Now, remove this prime implicant row and the
corresponding min term columns. The reduced prime implicant
table is shown next.
2-The min term 15 is covered only by one prime implicant WY.
So, it is an essential prime implicant.
3- Now simplified boolean expression is
F(W,X,Y,Z) = YZ’ + WX’ + WY

Min terms / Prime 8 9 11 15 Min terms / 15

Implicants Prime Implicants

WX’ 1 1 1
WY 1
WY 1 1

F(W,X,Y,Z) = YZ’ + WX’ + WY

 Example-2
YZ
WX 00 01 11 10
00 1 1 1 1 Find the essential
01 1 1
prime implicants
using the Q-M
11 1 1 method.
F= (0,1,2,3,5,7,8,10,14,15)
10 1 1
 Essential Prime Implicants
minterms
YZ
WX 00 01 11 10 0 0000
1 0001
00 1 1 1 1
2 0010
01 1 1 8 1000
3 0011
11 1 1 5 0101
10 1010
10 1 1 7 0111
14 1110
15 1111
 Finding Prime Implicants
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
0 0000 (0,1) 000- (0,1,2,3) 00--
1 0001 (0,2) 00-0 (0,2,1,3) 00--
2 0010 (0,8) -000
(1,3) 00-1 (0,2,8,10) -0-0
8 1000
3 0011 (1,5) 0-01 (0,8,2,10) -0-0
(2,3) 001- (1,5,3,7) 0--1
5 0101
10 1010 (2,10) -010
(8,10) 10-0 (1,3,5,7) 0--1
7 0111
14 1110 (3,7) 0-11 6 Prime Implicants
15 1111 (5,7) 01-1
1-10 00--
(10,14) 1-10
-111 -0-0
(7,15) -111
111- 0--1
(14,15) 111-
 Find Essential Prime Implicants
Prime Covered Minterms
Implicant minterms 0 1 2 3 5 7 8 10 14 15
1-10 10,14 X X
-111 7,15 X X
X X
* 111-
00--
14,15
0,1,2,3 X X X X
-0-0 0,2,8,10 X X X X
0--1 1,3,5,7 X X X X
 3 Prime Implicants
F = W’Z+X’Z’+WXY
YZ
WX 00 01 11 10
00 1 1 1 1
0--1
01 1 1

11 1 1
111-
10 1 1

-0-0
 Assignment

Find out Simplify following Boolean Expression

using Quine-McCluskey Tabular Method

1- F(A,B,C,D) = ∑(0,1,3,7,8,9,11,15)
2- F(A,B,C,D) = ∑(1,2,3,7,8,9,10,11,14,15)