Compare representations: A Karnaugh map (K-map) is similar to a truth table because it enumerates all input combinations and the corresponding output values. Evaluate this statement.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Correct

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Karnaugh maps and truth tables are two complementary views of the same function: a truth table lists outputs for all possible input combinations, while a K-map lays out those combinations spatially to make adjacency and grouping visually apparent for simplification. This question checks your understanding of their relationship.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Both tools describe the same Boolean function.
  • Gray code ordering is used in K-maps to enforce single-bit adjacency.
  • The purpose is simplification by identification of prime implicants.


Concept / Approach:
The K-map is a reorganized truth table where each cell corresponds to a minterm (for SOP) or maxterm (for POS). The spatial arrangement helps you see powers-of-two groupings that translate into simplified product or sum terms, reducing literal counts and gate complexity.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Start with a truth table: enumerate all 2^n input combinations.Map each combination to a K-map cell via Gray-coded rows/columns.Place 1s (or 0s) into cells according to the function's output.Group adjacent 1s (or 0s) to derive simplified expressions.


Verification / Alternative check:
Translating a function to both a truth table and a K-map yields identical functional information. The only difference is layout and the resulting ease of visual minimization.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Incorrect: Denies the shared enumeration of input states and outputs.
  • Ambiguous as stated: The mapping between rows and cells is well-defined.
  • Cannot be determined: No additional data is required; definitionally true.


Common Pitfalls:
Thinking K-maps introduce new semantics beyond the truth table. They do not; they simply reorganize data to make adjacency-based simplification obvious.


Final Answer:
Correct

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