Assuming constant equimolar counterflow.

Assuming 100% stage and column efficiency.

𝑉𝑛+1 = 𝐿𝑛 + 𝐷
∴ 𝑉𝑛+1 𝑦𝑖,𝑛+1 = 𝐿𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛 + 𝐷𝑥𝑖,𝐷

Assuming total reflux.

𝐷=0
∴ 𝑉𝑛+1 = 𝐿𝑛
∴ 𝑉𝑛+1 𝑦𝑖,𝑛+1 = 𝐿𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛
𝐿𝑛
∴ 𝑦𝑖,𝑛+1 = 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑖,𝑛
𝑉𝑛+1 𝑖,𝑛
Assuming Rault’s Law:

𝑦𝑖,𝑛 = 𝐾𝑖,𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛 ∴ 𝑥𝑖,𝑛−1 = 𝐾𝑖,𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛

𝑥𝑖,𝑛−1 𝐾𝑖,𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛

∴( )=( )( )
𝑥𝑗,𝑛−1 𝐾𝑗,𝑛 𝑥𝑗,𝑛

Expand it all stages:

𝑥𝑖,𝐷 𝐾𝑖,1 𝐾𝑖,2 𝐾𝑖,3 𝐾𝑖,𝑛−1 𝐾𝑖,𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛

( )=( )( )( )...( )( )( )
𝑥𝑗,𝐷 𝐾𝑗,1 𝐾𝑗,2 𝐾𝑗,3 𝐾𝑗,𝑛−1 𝐾𝑗,𝑛 𝑥𝑗,𝑛

𝐾𝑖
𝑎𝑖,𝑗 = ( )
𝐾𝑗

Assuming relative volatility is constant:

𝐾𝑖,1 𝐾𝑖,2 𝐾𝑖,3 𝐾𝑖,𝑛−1 𝐾𝑖,𝑛 𝑛

∴( )( )( )...( )( ) = 𝑎𝑖,𝑗
𝐾𝑗,1 𝐾𝑗,2 𝐾𝑗,3 𝐾𝑗,𝑛−1 𝐾𝑗,𝑛

𝑥𝑖,𝐷 𝑛 𝑥𝑖,𝑛
∴( ) = 𝑎𝑖,𝑗 ( )
𝑥𝑗,𝐷 𝑥𝑗,𝑛

Reboiler would be stage n+1:

𝑥𝑖,𝐷 𝑛+1 𝑥𝑖,𝐵

∴( ) = 𝑎𝑖,𝑗 ( )
𝑥𝑗,𝑛𝐷 𝑥𝑖𝑗𝐵

𝑥𝑖,𝐷 𝑥𝑖,𝐵
∴ 𝑙𝑜𝑔 ( ) = (𝑛 + 1)log (𝑎𝑖,𝑗 ) + 𝑙𝑜𝑔 ( )
𝑥𝑗,𝐷 𝑥𝑗,𝐵

𝑥𝑖,𝐷 𝑥𝑖,𝐵
∴ (𝑛 + 1)log (𝑎𝑖,𝑗 ) = 𝑙𝑜𝑔 ( ) − 𝑙𝑜𝑔 ( )
𝑥𝑗,𝐷 𝑥𝑗,𝐵
𝑥 𝑥𝑗,𝐵
log [(𝑥𝑖,𝐷 ) (𝑥 )]
𝑗,𝐷 𝑖,𝐵
∴𝑛+1=
log (𝑎𝑖,𝑗 )
Defining Light Key (LK), Heavy Key (HK) and taking into consider variance in relative volatility:
𝑥 𝑥
log [(𝑥 𝐿𝐾,𝐷 ) ( 𝑥𝑖𝐻𝐾,𝐵 )]
𝐻𝐾,𝑛𝐷 𝐿𝐾,𝐵
∴ 𝑁𝑚𝑖𝑛 + 1 =
log [(𝑎𝐿𝐾,𝐻𝐾 )𝑎𝑣𝑔 ]

𝐾𝐿𝐾,𝐷 𝐾𝐿𝐾,𝐵
(𝑎𝐿𝐾,𝐻𝐾 )𝑎𝑣𝑔 = √( )( )
𝐾𝐻𝐾,𝐷 𝐾𝐻𝐾,𝐵