Marnaugh Map (K-Map) is a graphical tool that provides a simple and straightforward method of minimizing Boolean expressions. The K-map method was introduced in 1953 by Maurice Karnaugh as an enhancement to Veitch diagram.

Map format

A K-Map is a square or rectangle divided into a number of smaller squares called cells. Each cell on the K-Map corresponds directly to a line in a truth table. There are always cells in a K-Map where is the number of variables in the function.