Normal Forms- A product of the variable and their negations in a formula is called an

Elementary product. Similarly, A sum of the variables and their negation is called an
Elementary sum.
Let P and Q be any two atomic variables, then P,  P  Q, are some example of
elementary products. Similarly P,  P  Q are example of elementary sum of two variables.

Disjunction Normal Forms- A formula which is equivalent to a given formula and which
consists of a sum of elementary products is called a disjunction normal form of the given
formula.

Example-Obtain disjunction normal forms of

a) P (PQ)
 P  ( P  Q) (PQ   P  Q)
 (P   P)  (P  Q) (Distributive law)
Thus
P (PQ)  (P   P)  (P  Q) is an required disjunctive normal
form.

b)  (P Q) (P  Q)
By using the equivalence
R S  (R  S)  ( R S)
Consider,
 (P Q) (P  Q)
 ( (P Q)  (P  Q))  ( (P  Q)   (P  Q)
 ( P   Q  P  Q)  ((P  Q)  ( P   Q))
 ( P  Q  P  Q)  ((P  Q)   P)  (P  Q)  Q)
 ( P  Q  P  Q)  (P   P)  (Q  P)  (P  Q)  (Q  Q)
is the required disjunctive normal form.

Conjunctive Normal Forms- A formula which is equivalent to a given formula

and which consists of a product of elementary sums is called a conjunctive normal
form of the given formula.
Example-Obtain disjunction normal forms of
a) P (PQ)
 P  ( P  Q) (PQ   P  Q)
Thus
P (PQ)  P  ( P  Q) is an required form.

b)  (P Q) (P  Q)
By using
R S  (R  S)  (SR)
Consider,
 (P Q) (P  Q)
 ( (P Q)  (P  Q))  ((P  Q)   (P  Q)
 ((P Q)  (P  Q))  ( (P  Q)  (P  Q)
 ((P Q  P)  (P Q  Q))  ( P   Q)  (P  Q)
 (P Q  P)  (P Q  Q))  ( P   Q  P)  (P  Q  Q)
 (P Q)  (P Q)  ( P   Q)  (P  Q)

is the required normal form.

Principal Disjunctive Normal Forms (PDNF)-For a given formula an

equivalent formula consisting of disjunction of mini-terms only is known as its
principal disjunctive normal form such a normal form is also known as the sum
of products canonical form.
Examples-
1) For two variables P and Q there are 22 such formula given by P  Q, P 
Q,  P  Q, P  Q. These formulas are called mini-terms or Boolean
conjunctions of P and Q.
2) For three variables P, Q and R there are 23 such formula given by
(PQR), (PQR), (PQR), (PQR), (PQR), (PQR), (PQR),
(PQR).
Examples-
1) Obtain the Principal disjunctive normal form of
a) P  Q
 (P  (Q  Q))  (Q  (P   P))
 (P  Q) (P  Q)  (Q  P)  (Q  P)
(Distributive law)
 (P  Q)  (P  Q)  (Q  P) (Commutative law and
P  PP)
 b) (P  Q) (P  R)  (Q  R)
 (P  Q  (R R))  ( P  R  (Q Q))  ((P   P)  (Q 
R))
 (P  Q  R)  (P  Q R)  ( P  Q  R)  ( P  R Q) 
(P  (Q  R)
 (Q  R  P) (Commutative and distributive law)

2) Show that following are equivalent formulas.

a) P  (P  Q)  P
First convert it into PDNF
 (P  (Q  Q))  (P  Q)
 (P  Q)  (P  Q))  (P  Q) (Distributive
law)
 (P  Q)  (P  Q) ----------------------1 (P  P P)

P  P  (P  Q) (A  T  A and A  A  T)
 (P  Q)  (P  Q) ----------------------2 (Distributive
law)
From equation 1 and 2
P  (P  Q)  P

b) P  (P  Q)  P  Q
 (P  (Q  Q))  (P  Q)
 (P  (Q  Q))  (P  Q)
 (P  Q)  (P  Q))  (P  Q) --------1 (Distributive)
PQ  (P  (Q  Q))  (Q  (P  P))
 (P  Q)  (P  Q))  (Q  P)  (Q  P) (Distributive)
 (P  Q)  (P  Q))  (P  Q) --------2
From 1 and 2
P  (P  Q)  P  Q
3) Obtain the principal disjunctive normal form of
P ((P Q)   (Q  P))
Solution-
Using P Q  PQ and De’Morgan’s law, we obtain
P ((P Q)   (Q   P))
  P  ((P Q)  (Q  P))
  P  (P  (Q  P))  (Q  (Q  P))
  P  ((P  P  Q)  (Q  Q  P))
  P  ((F  Q)  (Q  P))
  P  ((F  (Q  P))
  P  (P  Q)
 ( P  (Q  Q))  (P  Q)
 ( P  Q)  ( P Q)  (P  Q)

Principal Conjunction Normal Forms (PCNF)-For a given formula an

equivalent formula consisting of conjunctions of max-terms only is known as its
principal conjunctive normal form. Such a normal form is also known as the
product of sum canonical form.

Example 1- Obtain the principal conjunctive normal form of the formula S given
by
( PR)  (Q P)
Solution-
S  ( PR)  (Q P)
 (P  R)  ((QP)  (PQ))
 (P  R)  ( Q  P)  ( P  Q)
 (P  R  (Q  Q))  ( Q  P  (R  R))  ( P  Q  (R  R))
 (P  R  Q)  (P  R  Q)  ( Q  P  R)  ( Q  P  R)) 
( P  Q  R)  ( P  Q  R))
 (P  Q  R)  (P  Q  R)  (P   Q  R)  (P   Q  R)) 
( P  Q  R)  ( P  Q  R))
 (P  Q  R)  (P  Q  R)  (P   Q  R))  ( P  Q  R) 
( P  Q  R))
Which is the required principal disjunctive normal form of S.