Multiple Reduction of Variable Dependency of Sequential Machines

An important step in the design of finite state sequential machines is the assignment of binary variables to represent their internal states.In [1] J. Hartmanis studied the problem of determining economical state assignments.In [2] he and R. E. Stearns generalized many of the results of [1].Assignments obtained by the methods of [1] and [2] reduce dependence among the state variables of any sequential machine in which reduction is possible.These methods, however, will not guarantee the production of assignments with a maximal reduction of state variable dependence.The present paper generalizes these methods to produce efficiently and systematically for machines of the aforementioned class assignments in which state variable is optimally reduced.