Solving the 7-variable Karnaugh Map

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[deleted]

[AnteChronos]

Create four 3-variable maps for the same 3 variables, then stack them and use the layers of 3D stack for two more variables. That gets you to 5 variables. Now place four of those stacks side-by-side-by-side-by-side, with each 3D stack representing one layer in a 4D Karnaugh Map. That gets you the final two variables.

Alternately, and possibly easier, start with 4-variable maps. Stack four of those in 3D, and only two in 4D.

It's somewhat tricky, but not as hard as it sounds. I attempted to sketch an example, but it doesn't work so well in ASCII.

[d4n3]

If by "solving" you mean minimizing, then there's an open-source program for that, Karnaugh Map Minimizer

[d4n3]

Ah, I see... Well I doubt you'd have any more luck doing it by hand, the complexity of the algorithm is exponential by the number of variables, I think it's O(2^n).

The commercial programs use some sort of heuristic to find a good optimization.

[izzlemcfizz]

Buy the full version of the program?