Tony R. Kuphalt's "Karnaugh Mapping"
Read this chapter on Karnaugh mapping, a tabular way for simplifying Boolean logic. There are several ways for representing Boolean logic: algebraic expressions which use symbols and Boolean operations; Venn diagrams which use distinct and overlapping circles; and tables relating inputs to outputs (for combinational logic) or tables relating inputs and current state to outputs and next state (for sequential logic). When designing sequential logic, some of the components are memory devices. Cost and processing time are considerations in using memory devices, which can be expensive. To reduce the cost or processing time the logic can be simplified. This simplification can be done using algebraic rules to manipulate the symbols and operations, analysis of the areas inside the circles for Venn diagrams, or Karnaugh maps for input/output tables. Some of you may be familiar with Karnaugh mapping from previous courses or work experience.