Quine-McCluskey
Method
Let us simplify the following Boolean expression:
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.
The following table shows these min terms and their equivalent binary
representations.
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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
