A Topological Method for the Determination of the Minimal Forms of a Boolean Function

The topology of the n-dimensional cube is used to reduce the problem of determining the minimal forms of a Boolean function of n variables to that of finding the minimal coverings of the essential vertices of the basic cell system associated with the given function. The proof of this statement is contained in the central Theorem 4. A numerical easily programmed procedure is given with which it is possible to treat problems with a greater number of variables than has heretofore been practical. The procedure by-passes the determination of the basic cells (the prime implicants of W. V. Quine) and locates the essential vertices, from which in turn the irredundant and minimal forms are obtained.