Standard Order

▪ Minterms and maxterms are designated with a subscript

▪ The subscript is a number, corresponding to a binary
pattern
▪ The bits in the pattern represent the complemented or
normal state of each variable listed in a standard order.
▪ All variables will be present in a minterm or maxterm and
will be listed in the same order (usually alphabetically)
▪ Example: For variables a, b, c:
• Maxterms: (a + b + c), (a + b + c)
• Terms: (b + a + c), a c b, and (c + b + a) are NOT in
standard order.
• Minterms: a b c, a b c, a b c
• Terms: (a + c), b c, and (a + b) do not contain all
variables
Chapter 2 - Part 1 1
Purpose of the Index
▪ The index for the minterm or maxterm, expressed as a binary
number, is used to determine whether the variable is shown in
the true form or complemented form.
▪ For Minterms:
• “1” means the variable is “Not Complemented” and
• “0” means the variable is “Complemented”.
▪ For Maxterms:
• “0” means the variable is “Not Complemented” and
• “1” means the variable is “Complemented”.

Chapter 2 - Part 1 2
Index Example in Three Variables
▪ Example: (for three variables)
▪ Assume the variables are called X, Y, and Z.
▪ The standard order is X, then Y, then Z.
▪ The Index 0 (base 10) = 000 (base 2) for three
variables). All three variables are complemented
for minterm 0 ( X , Y, Z) and no variables are
complemented for Maxterm 0 (X,Y,Z).
• Minterm 0, called m0 is X Y Z .
• Maxterm 0, called M0 is (X + Y + Z).
• Minterm 6 ?
• Maxterm 6 ?
Chapter 2 - Part 1 3
Index Examples – Four Variables
Index Binary Minterm Maxterm
i Pattern mi Mi
0 0000 abcd
1 0001 abcd ?
3 0011 ? a+b+c+d
5 0101 abcd a+b+c+d
7 0111 ? a+b+c+d
10 1010 abcd a+b+c+d
13 1101 abcd ?
15 1111 a+b+c+d

Chapter 2 - Part 1 4
 Minterm and Maxterm Relationship
▪ Review: DeMorgan's Theorem
=x+y
x · yand x + y = x⋅y
▪ Two-variable example:
=x+y
M 2 and m 2 = x·y
Thus M is the complement of m and vice-versa.
2 2
▪ Since DeMorgan's Theorem holds for n variables, the above holds for
terms of n variables
▪ giving:
Mi = mi
and
mi = M i
Thus Mi is the complement of mi.

Chapter 2 - Part 1 5
Function Tables for Both
▪ Minterms of Maxterms of
2 variables 2 variables
xy m0 m1 m2 m3 x y M0 M1 M2 M3
00 1 0 0 0 00 0 1 1 1
01 0 1 0 0 01 1 0 1 1
10 0 0 1 0 10 1 1 0 1
11 0 0 0 1 11 1 1 1 0

▪ Each column in the maxterm function table is the

complement of the column in the minterm function
table since Mi is the complement of mi.
Chapter 2 - Part 1 6
Observations
▪ In the function tables:
• Each minterm has one and only one 1 present in the 2n terms
(a minimum of 1s). All other entries are 0.
• Each maxterm has one and only one 0 present in the 2n terms
All other entries are 1 (a maximum of 1s).
▪ We can implement any function by "ORing" the
minterms corresponding to "1" entries in the function
table. These are called the minterms of the function.
▪ We can implement any function by "ANDing" the
maxterms corresponding to "0" entries in the function
table. These are called the maxterms of the function.
▪ This gives us two canonical forms:
• Sum of Minterms (SOM)
• Product of Maxterms (POM)
for stating any Boolean function.
Chapter 2 - Part 1 7
Minterm Function Example
▪ Example: Find F1 = m1 + m4 + m7
▪ F1 = x y z + x y z + x y z
x y z index m1 + m4 + m7 = F1
000 0 0 + 0 + 0 =0
001 1 1 + 0 + 0 =1
010 2 0 + 0 + 0 =0
011 3 0 + 0 + 0 =0
100 4 0 + 1 + 0 =1
101 5 0 + 0 + 0 =0
110 6 0 + 0 + 0 =0
111 7 0 + 0 + 1 =1
Chapter 2 - Part 1 8
Minterm Function Example
▪ F(A, B, C, D, E) = m2 + m9 + m17 + m23
▪ F(A, B, C, D, E) =

Chapter 2 - Part 1 9
Maxterm Function Example
▪ Example: Implement F1 in maxterms:
F1 = M 0 · M2 · M3 · M5 · M6
F1 = (x + y + z) ·(x + y + z)·(x + y + z )
·(x + y + z )·(x + y + z)
xyz i M0 ⋅ M2 ⋅ M3 ⋅ M5 ⋅ M6 = F1
000 0 0 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 =0
001 1 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 =1
010 2 1 ⋅ 0 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 =0
011 3 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 0 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 =0
100 4 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 =1
101 5 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 0 ⋅ 1 =0
110 6 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 0 =0
111 7 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 ⋅ 1 =1
Chapter 2 - Part 1 10
Maxterm Function Example
▪ F( A, B, C, D) = M 3 ⋅ 8 ⋅ 11 ⋅ 14
▪ F(A, B,C,D) = M M M

Chapter 2 - Part 1 11
Canonical Sum of Minterms
▪ Any Boolean function can be expressed as a
Sum of Minterms.
• For the function table, the minterms used are the
terms corresponding to the 1's
• For expressions, expand all terms first to explicitly
list all minterms. Do this by “ANDing” any term
missing a variable v with a term ( v + v ).
▪ Example: Implement f = x + x y as a sum of
minterms.
First expand terms: f = x ( y + y ) + x y
Then distribute terms: f = xy + x y + x y
Express as sum of minterms: f = m3 + m2 + m0

Chapter 2 - Part 1 12
Another SOM Example
▪ Example: F=A+BC
▪ There are three variables, A, B, and C which we take to be the
standard order.
▪ Expanding the terms with missing variables:

▪ Collect terms (removing all but one of duplicate terms):

▪ Express as SOM:

Chapter 2 - Part 1 13
Shorthand SOM Form
▪ From the previous example, we started with:
F=A+BC
▪ We ended up with:
F = m1+m4+m5+m6+m7
▪ This can be denoted in the formal shorthand:

▪ Note that we explicitly show the standard variables in order and

drop the “m” designators.

Chapter 2 - Part 1 14
Canonical Product of Maxterms
▪ Any Boolean Function can be expressed as a Product of
Maxterms (POM).
• For the function table, the maxterms used are the terms
corresponding to the 0's.
• For an expression, expand all terms first to explicitly list all
maxterms. Do this by first applying the second distributive
law , “ORing” terms missing variable v with a term equal to v v
and then applying the distributive law again. ⋅
▪ Example: Convert to product of maxterms:
f ( x, y , z ) = x + x y
Apply the distributive law:
x + x y = (x + x )(x + y ) = 1 ⋅ (x + y ) = x + y
Add missing variable z:
x + y + z ⋅ z = (x + y + z ) (x + y + z )
Express as POM: f = M2 · M3
Chapter 2 - Part 1 15
Another POM Example
▪ Convert to Product of Maxterms:
f(A, B C) = A C + B C + A B
▪ Use x + y z = (x+y)·(x+z)
, with x = (A C + B C), y = A ,
and z = B to get:
f = (A C + B C + A )(A C + B C + B )
▪ Then use x + x y = x + y to get:
f = ( C + B + A )(A C + C + B )
and a second timeC to get:
f = ( C + B + A )(A + C + B )
▪ Rearrange to standard order,
= + + + + to give f = M5 · M2
f ( A B C)(A B C)
Chapter 2 - Part 1 16
Function Complements
▪ The complement of a function expressed as a
sum of minterms is constructed by selecting the
minterms missing in the sum-of-minterms
canonical forms.
▪ Alternatively, the complement of a function
expressed by a Sum of Minterms form is simply
the Product of Maxterms with the same indices.
▪ Example: Given F ( x , y , z ) = Σm ( 1, 3 , 5 , 7 )
F( x, y , z ) = Σm( 0, 2,4,6)
F( x, y , z ) = ΠM(1, 3,5,7 )
Chapter 2 - Part 1 17
Conversion Between Forms
▪ To convert between sum-of-minterms and
product-of-maxterms form (or vice-versa) we follow
these steps:
• Find the function complement by swapping terms in the
list with terms not in the list.
• Change from products to sums, or vice versa.
▪ Example:Given F as before:
▪ Form the Complement: F( x, y , z ) = Σm( 0, 2,4,6)
▪ Then use the other form with the same indices – this
forms the complement again, giving the other form
of the original function:
Chapter 2 - Part 1 18