Quine-McCluskey Tabular Method

In previous chapter, we discussed K-map method, which is a convenient method for minimizing
Boolean functions up to 5 variables. But, it is difficult to simplify the Boolean functions having
more than 5 variables by using this method.

Quine-McClukey tabular method is a tabular method based on the concept of prime implicants.

We know that prime implicant is a product orsum term, which can’t be further reduced by

combining with any other product orsum 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

Procedure of Quine-McCluskey Tabular Method

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 3 − Repeat step2 with newly formed terms till we get all prime implicants.

Step 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.

Step 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. Those essential prime
implicants will be part of the simplified Boolean function.

Step 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
Let us simplify the following Boolean function,

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 these min terms
based on the number of ones present in their binary equivalent is 2, 8, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15.
The following table shows these min terms and their equivalent binary representations.

Group Name Min terms W X Y Z

2 0 0 1 0
GA1
8 1 0 0 0

6 0 1 1 0

GA2 9 1 0 0 1

10 1 0 1 0

11 1 0 1 1
GA3
14 1 1 1 0

GA4 15 1 1 1 1

The given min terms are arranged into 4 groups based on the number of ones present in their
binary equivalents. The following table shows the possible merging of min terms from adjacent
groups.
 Group Name Min terms W X Y Z

2,6 0 - 1 0

2,10 - 0 1 0
GB1
8,9 1 0 0 -

8,10 1 0 - 0

6,14 - 1 1 0

9,11 1 0 - 1
GB2
10,11 1 0 1 -

10,14 1 - 1 0

11,15 1 - 1 1
GB3
14,15 1 1 1 -

The min terms, which are differed in only one-bit position from adjacent groups are merged. That
differed bit is represented with this symbol, ‘-‘. In this case, there are three groups and each
group contains combinations of two min terms. The following table shows the possible merging
of min term pairs from adjacent groups.

Group Name Min terms W X Y Z

2,6,10,14 - - 1 0

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

8,10,9,11 1 0 - -

10,11,14,15 1 - 1 -
GB2
10,14,11,15 1 - 1 -

The successive groups of min term pairs, which are differed in only one-bit position are merged.
That differed bit is represented with this symbol, ‘-‘. In this case, there are two groups and each
group contains combinations of four min terms. Here, these combinations of 4 min terms are
available in two rows. So, we can remove the repeated rows. The reduced table after removing
the redundant rows is shown below.
 Group Name Min terms W X Y Z

GC1 2,6,10,14 - - 1 0

8,9,10,11 1 0 - -

GC2 10,11,14,15 1 - 1 -

Further merging of the combinations of min terms from adjacent groups is not possible, since
they are differed in more than one-bit position. There are three rows in the above table. So, each
row will give one prime implicant. Therefore, the prime implicants are YZ’, WX’ & WY.

The prime implicant table is shown below.

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

YZ’ 1 1 1 1

WX’ 1 1 1 1

WY 1 1 1 1

The prime implicants are placed in row wise and min terms are placed in column wise. 1s are
placed in the common cells of prime implicant rows and the corresponding min term columns.

The min terms 2 and 6 are covered only by one prime implicant YZ’. So, it is an essential prime
implicant. This will be part of simplified Boolean function. Now, remove this prime implicant row
and the corresponding min term columns. The reduced prime implicant table is shown below.

Min terms / Prime 8 9 11 15

WX’ 1 1 1

WY 1 1

The min terms 8 and 9 are covered only by one prime implicant WX’. So, it is an essential prime
implicant. This will be part of simplified Boolean function. Now, remove this prime implicant row
and the corresponding min term columns. The reduced prime implicant table is shown below.

Min terms / Prime 15

WY 1

The min term 15 is covered only by one prime implicant WY. So, it is an essential prime
implicant. This will be part of simplified Boolean function.
In this example problem, we got three prime implicants and all the three are essential. Therefore,
the simplified Boolean function is

f W , X, Y , Z = YZ’ + WX’ + WY.