Terminology

Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• Literal - a variable or its complement

• Product term - literals connected by ( • )
• Sum term - literals connected by ( + )
• Canonical form - Boolean functions expressed as a sum of
Minterms or product of Maxterms are said to be in canonical
form.
 Minterms
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• A minterm is a product (AND) of literals involving all of the

inputs
• Each row in a truth table has a minterm that is true (1) for
that row (and only that row)
• Denoted by mi, where i is the decimal equivalent of the
minterm corresponding binary combination (bi)
• A variable in mi is complemented if its value in bi is 0,
otherwise uncomplemented.
• Example: Assume 3 variables (A, B, C), and i=3. Then, bi =
011 and its corresponding minterm is denoted by mi = A’BC
 Maxterms
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• A maxterm is a sum (OR) of literals involving all of the

inputs
• Each row in a truth table has a maxterm that is false (0) for
that row (and only that row)
• Denoted by Mi, where i is the decimal equivalent of the
maxterm corresponding binary combination (bi)
• A variable in Mi is complemented if its value in bi is 1,
otherwise uncomplemented.
• Example: Assume 3 variables (A, B, C), and i=3. Then, bi =
011 and its corresponding maxterm is denoted by Mi =
A+B’+C’
 Truth Table notation for Minterms and
Maxterms
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

i A B C Minterm Maxterm
0 0 0 0 A’B’C’ = m0 A+B+C = M0
1 0 0 1 A’B’C = m1 A+B+C’ = M1
2 0 1 0 A’BC’ = m2 A+B’+C = M2
3 0 1 1 A’BC = m3 A+B’+C’ = M3
4 1 0 0 AB’C’ = m4 A’+B+C = M4
5 1 0 1 AB’C = m5 A’+B+C’ = M5
6 1 1 0 ABC’ = m6 A’+B’+C = M6
7 1 1 1 ABC = m7 A’+B’+C’ = M7
 Sum-of-Products (SOP) Form
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• The function is formed by ORing the minterms for

which the output is TRUE (1)
• Thus, a sum (OR) of products (AND terms)
• All Boolean equations can be written in SOP form
 Sum-of-Products (SOP) Form
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

A B C F Minterm Write down the minterms for each

output 1 in the truth table.
0 0 0 0
For example, the first output 1 appears
0 0 1 1 A’B’C for an input of A = 0, B = 0, and C =
1.The corresponding minterm is A’B’C.
0 1 0 0
0 1 1 0
1 0 0 1 AB’C’ F = (A’B’C) + (AB’C’)+ (ABC’) + (ABC)
1 0 1 0
1 1 0 1 ABC’
1 1 1 1 ABC
 Product-of-Sum (POS) Form
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• The function is formed by ANDing the maxterms for

which the output is FALSE (0)
• Thus, a product (AND) of sum (OR terms)
• All Boolean equations can be written in POS form
 Product-of-Sum (POS) Form
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

A B C F Maxterm Write down the maxterms for each

output 0 in the truth table.
0 0 0 0 A+B+C
For example, the first output 0 appears
0 0 1 1 for an input of A = 0, B = 0, and C =
0.The corresponding maxterm is
0 1 0 0 A+B’+C
A+B+C.
0 1 1 0 A+B’+C’
1 0 0 1 F = (A+B+C)(A+B’+C)(A+B+’C’)(A’+B+C’)
1 0 1 0 A’+B+C’
1 1 0 1
1 1 1 1
 Canonical Forms
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• Every function F() has two canonical forms:

• Canonical Sum-Of-Products (sum of minterms)
• Canonical Product-Of-Sums (product of maxterms)
• Canonical Sum-Of-Products:
The minterms included are those mi such that F( ) = 1 in row i of the
truth table for F( ).
• Canonical Product-Of-Sums:
The maxterms included are those Mi such that F( ) = 0 in row i of the
truth table for F( )
 Canonical Forms
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• Example:
Consider a Truth table for f1(a,b,c) at right
The canonical sum-of-products form for f1 is
• f1(a,b,c) = m1 + m2 + m4 + m6
= a’b’c + a’bc’ + ab’c’ + abc’
The canonical product-of-sums form for f1 is
• f1(a,b,c) = M0 • M3 • M5 • M7
= (a+b+c)•(a+b’+c’)•(a’+b+c’)•(a’+b’+c’)
 Shorthand: ∑ and ∏
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• f1(a,b,c) = ∑ m(1,2,4,6), where ∑ indicates that this is a

sum-of-products form, and m(1,2,4,6) indicates that
the minterms to be included are m1, m2, m4, and m6.
• f1(a,b,c) = ∏ M(0,3,5,7), where ∏ indicates that this is
a product-of-sums form, and M(0,3,5,7) indicates that
the maxterms to be included are M0, M3, M5, and M7.
 Conversion between Canonical Forms
Digital Logic and Switching Theory

• Replace ∑ with ∏ (or vice versa) and replace those i’s that
appeared in the original form with those that do not.
• Example:
f1(a,b,c)= a’b’c + a’bc’ + ab’c’ + abc’
= m1 + m2 + m4 + m6
= ∑ m(1,2,4,6)
= ∏ M(0,3,5,7)
= (a+b+c)•(a+b’+c’)•(a’+b+c’)•(a’+b’+c’)