In digital logic minimization, a non-essential prime implicant is a maximal grouping of ones on a Karnaugh map where every single one in the group is also part of at least one other prime implicant. Because its logic conditions are already satisfied by other essential terms, it can be safely removed from the final Boolean expression without changing the circuit's function, saving logic gates.
We can drop this non-essential prime implicant from the equation and save ourselves an AND gate in the layout.
Related terms
Prime implicant
The largest possible grouping of ones or zeros in a Karnaugh map used for logic minimization.
Essential prime implicant
A grouped term in Boolean logic minimization that covers at least one output state no other group can cover.
Combinational logic
A type of digital logic where outputs are determined entirely by the present combination of inputs.