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An important relationship holds between the DNF and CNF representations for Boolean
functions. If DNF ( f ) and CNF ( f ) are the representations of f in the DNF and CNF expan-
sions, then the following identity holds (see Problem 2.6 ):
CNF ( f )= DNF ( f )
It follows that the CNF of the parity function f ( n )
has 2 n− 1 maxterms.
m can be expanded to its CNF or DNF and each can be
realized with circuits, the following result is immediate.
n
Since each function f :
B
→B
THEOREM 2.3.1 Every function f : B
n
m can be realized by a logic circuit.
→B
2.3.3 SOPE and POSE Normal Forms
The sum-of-products and product-of-sums normal forms are simplifications of the disjunctive
and conjunctive normal forms, respectively. These simplifications are obtained by using the
rules stated in Section 2.2.4 .
A product in the variab le s x i 1 , x i 2 , ... , x i k is the AND of each of these variables or their
negations. For example, x 2 x 5 x 6 is a product. A minterm is a product that contains each of
the variables of a function. A product of a Boolean function f is a product in some of the
variables of f .A sum-of-products expansion (SOPE) of a Boolean function is the OR (the
sum) of products of f . Thus, the DNF is a special case of the SOPE of a function.
A SOPE of a Boolean function can be obtained by simplifying the DNF of a function
using the rules given in Section 2.2.4 . For example, the DNF given earlier and shown below
can be simplified to produce a SOPE.
y 1 ( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 )= x 1 x 2 x 3
x 1 x 2 x 3
x 1 x 2 x 3
x 1 x 2 x 3
x 1 x 2 x 3
It is easy to see that the first and second terms combine to give x 1 x 3 , the first and third give
x 2 x 3 (we use the property that g
g = g ), and the last two give x 1 x 3 .Thatis,wecanwrite
the following SOPE for f :
f = x 1 x 3
x 1 x 3
x 2 x 3
(2.3)
Clearly, we could have stopped before any one of the above simplifications was used and gen-
erated another SOPE for f . This illustrates the point that a Boolean function may have many
SOPEs but only one DNF.
A sum in the va ri ables x i 1 , x i 2 , ... , x i k
is the OR of each of these variables or their nega-
tions. For example, x 3
x 7 is a sum. A maxterm is a product that contains each of the
variables of a function. A sum of a Boolean function f is a sum in some of the variables of
f .A product-of-sum expansion (POSE) of a Boolean function is the AND (the product) of
sums of f . Thus, the CNF is a special case of the POSE of a function.
A POSE of a Boolean function can be obtained by simplifying the CNF of a function
using t he r u les given i n Section 2.2.4 . For ex a mpl e, the conju nc tion of the two maxterms
x 1
x 4
x 2
x 3 and x 1
x 2
x 3 ,namely ( x 1
x 2
x 3 )
( x 1
x 2
x 3 ) ,canbereducedto
x 1
x 2 by the application of rules of Section 2.2.4 , as shown below:
( x 1
x 2
x 3 )
( x 1
x 2
x 3 )=
 
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