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Karnaugh Map Basics and Examples

A Karnaugh map provides a graphical way to group logical expressions with common factors to simplify them. It arranges the terms of a truth table spatially. The values in each square of the map come directly from the output column of the truth table. The input variables form the labels on the edges of the map. Worked examples demonstrate how to identify groupings of "1" values in the map and use them to minimize logical expressions down to their simplest form.

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18 views3 pages

Karnaugh Map Basics and Examples

A Karnaugh map provides a graphical way to group logical expressions with common factors to simplify them. It arranges the terms of a truth table spatially. The values in each square of the map come directly from the output column of the truth table. The input variables form the labels on the edges of the map. Worked examples demonstrate how to identify groupings of "1" values in the map and use them to minimize logical expressions down to their simplest form.

Uploaded by

siprit
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

A Karnaugh map provides a pictorial method of grouping together expressions with

common factors and therefore eliminating unwanted variables. The Karnaugh map can
also be described as a special arrangement of a truth table.
The diagram below illustrates the correspondence between the Karnaugh map and the
truth table for the general case of a two variable problem.

The values inside the squares are copied from the output column of the truth table,
therefore there is one square in the map for every row in the truth table. Around the edge
of the Karnaugh map are the values of the two input variable. A is along the top and B is
down the left hand side. The diagram below explains this:

The values around the edge of the map can be thought of as coordinates. So as an
example, the square on the top right hand corner of the map in the above diagram has
coordinates A=1 and B=0. This square corresponds to the row in the truth table where
A=1 and B=0 and F=1. Note that the value in the F column represents a particular
function to which the Karnaugh map corresponds.

Examples
Example 1:

Consider the following map. The function plotted is: Z = f(A,B) = A + AB

Note that values of the input variables form the rows and columns. That is the
logic values of the variables A and B (with one denoting true form and zero
denoting false form) form the head of the rows and columns respectively.
Bear in mind that the above map is a one dimensional type which can be used to
simplify an expression in two variables.
There is a two-dimensional map that can be used for up to four variables, and a
three-dimensional map for up to six variables.

Using algebraic simplification,


Z = A + AB
Z = A( + B)
Z=A
Variable B becomes redundant due to Boolean Theorem
Referring to the map above, the two adjacent 1's are grouped together. Through
inspection it can be seen that variable B has its true and false form within the group. This
eliminates variable B leaving only variable A which only has its true form. The
minimized answer therefore is Z = A.
Example 2:
Consider the expression Z = f(A,B) =

+A +

B plotted on the Karnaugh map:

Pairs of 1's are grouped as shown above, and the simplified answer is obtained by using
the following steps:

Note that two groups can be formed for the example given above, bearing in mind that
the largest rectangular clusters that can be made consist of two 1s. Notice that a 1 can
belong to more than one group.
The first group labeled I, consists of two 1s which correspond to A = 0, B = 0 and A = 1,
B = 0. Put in another way, all squares in this example that correspond to the area of the
map where B = 0 contains 1s, independent of the value of A. So when B = 0 the output is
1. The expression of the output will contain the term
For group labeled II corresponds to the area of the map where A = 0. The group can
therefore be defined as . This implies that when A = 0 the output is 1. The output is
therefore 1 whenever B = 0 and A = 0
Hence the simplified answer is Z = +

Reference: [Link]

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