Section 4.

2
Switching Algebra
Unate & Threshold Functions
Alfredo Benso
Politecnico di Torino, Italy
Alfredo.benso@polito.it

Unate Functions
Functions that can be implemented using a
Single-Rail Logic with AND and OR gates.
Single-Rail Logic to minimize pins and
interconnect.
Usually it is possible to use a NOT gate to
realize inversion in Single -Rail logic, but there
are situations in which inversion is very
expensive to implement (RAM address
decoding circuits)

Unate Functions: definitions

f is positive unate in a dependent variable xi if xi
does not appear in the sum-of-products representation
f is negative unate in a dependent variable xi if xi
does not appear in the sum-of-products representation
f is vacuous in a dependent variable xi if neither xi
nor x i appears in the sum-of-products representation
(otherwise it is essential)
f is mixed or binate in variable xi if it is not
possible to write a sum-of-products representation in
which x i and xi do not both appear

Unate functions
Example
F(w, x, y, z)= wx+wz
Essential: w, x, z
Vacuous: y
Positive: x, y
Negative: z, y
Mixed: w

Problem
Example
F(w, x, y, z)= x + yz + xyw+wz
Essential:
Vacuous:
Positive:
Negative:
Mixed:

Problem
Example
F(w, x, y, z)= x + yz + xyw+wz
Essential: w, x, y, z
Vacuous: Positive: x
Negative: y
Mixed: z

Classification of functions
Monotone increasing (or Frontal or Positive)
function: it is positive in all its variables it
can be represented with AND and OR gates
ONLY - (no inverters)
Monotone decreasing (or Backal or Negative)
function: it is negative in each of its variables
it can be represented in SOP form with ALL
complemented literals
Unate function: it is positive or negative in
each of its variables

Examples
f(x,y,z)=x y + y z
Monotone Increasing (Frontal)
g(a,b,c)= ac +b c
Monotone Decreasing (Backal)
k(A, B, C)= A B + A C
Unate Function
h(X, Y, Z)= X Y + Y Z
Unate in variables X and Z
Binate in variable Y

Threshold Functions
Definition
Let (w1, w2, , wn) be an n-tuple of realnumbered weights and t be a real number
called the threshold.
Then a threshold
function, f, is defined as:
x1

1, w1 x1 + w2 x2 + ... + wn xn t
f =
0, otherwise

x2

w2 w1

wn
xn

Threshold Functions
Example (2-valued logic)
A 3-input majority function has a value of 1 iff 2 or
more variables are 1
Of the 16 Switching Functions of 2 variables, 14 are
threshold functions (but not necessarily majority
functions)
w1 = w2 = -1 t = -0.5
f = x1 x 2
All threshold functions are unate
Majority functions are threshold functions where
n = 2m+1
t = m+1
w1 = w2 == wn = 1, majority functions equal 1 iff
more variables are 1 than 0
Majority functions are totally symmetric and monotone
increasing

Problem
A threshold gate realization is to be found for
the function f(x,y,z)=x(y+z)

Solution
(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)

x
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1

y
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1

z
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1

f
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1

ai
0
wz < t
wy < t
wy+ wz < t
wx< t
wx + wz t
wx + wy < t
wx + wy + wy t

From 5 and 4 wz>0

From 5 and 1 wx >0
From 6 and 4 wy >0
wx + wy t > wy + wz
wx + wz t > wx
wx = 2
wy = wz = 1

t=2.5

Problem
Is f(x,y) = xy + xy a threshold function?
x
0
0
1
1

y
0
1
0
1

f
0
1
1
0

ai
0
wy t
wx t
wx + wy < t

No, since there is no solution to this set of

inequalities.
However, two threshold functions could be
used to achieve the same result.

Relations Among Functions

All Functions
Unate
Monotone
Threshold

Majority