Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science

Group theoretical aspects of reversible logic gates

Leo Storme, Alexis De Vos, Gerald H. Jacobs

Published Jan 1, 1999• 69 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Logic gates with three input bits and three output bits have a privileged position within fundamental computer science: they are a sufficient building block for constructing arbitrary reversible boolean networks and therefore are the key to reversible digital computers. Such computers can, in principle, operate without heat production. As there exist as many as 8! = 40,320 different 3-bit reversible truth tables, the question arises as to which ones to choose as building blocks. Because these gates form a group with respect to the operation "cascading" , we can apply group theoretical tools, in order to make such a choice.

DOI
10.3217/jucs-005-05-0307

Related papers

Reversible logic

Alexis De Vos

Reversible logic circuits are beneficial to both classical and quantum computer design. Present-day logic building-blocks (like OR gates and NAND gates) are logically irreversible and therefore cannot be used for designing reversible computers. Thus reversible computation needs an appropriate design methodology. In contrast to conventional digital logic circuits, reversible logic circuits (of a same logic width w) form a mathematical group. The reversible circuits of width w form a group isomorphic to the symmetric group S_{2^w}. Its Young subgroups allow systematic and efficient synthesis of an arbitrary reversible circuit. We can choose either a left coset, a right coset, or a double coset approach. The optimal design is reminiscent of the so-called banyan networks of telecommunication. As an illustration, three experimental prototypes (in c-MOS chip technology) of reversible computing devices are presented. Special care has been taken to avoid as much as possible the appearance of garbage bits. The examples illustrate how, in a near future, reversible computers will outperform conventional computers, in terms of power dissipation and heat generation.

•Jan 1, 2009•0 citations

Reversible Logic Gates

Kalyan S. Perumalla

Historically, logic gates have been used as building blocks for theoretical development of deterministic computation, and the assembled logic is realized in practice over physical processes such as composition of variable voltage levels in electronic circuit elements. However, much of the logic gate theory and design has focused on forward computation only, without explicit consideration of reversible execution. Here, we consider the reversibility aspect of traditional 2-bit gates and describe the concepts behind the development of reversible gates (which happen to require gates with at least 3 bit-wide inputs and outputs), and describe popular 3-bit reversible logic gates.

Chapman & Hall/CRC eBooks•Sep 10, 2013•0 citations

Using group theory in reversible computing

Yvan Van Rentergem, Alexis De Vos, K. de Keyser

The (2w)! reversible transformations on w wires, i.e. reversible logic circuits with w inputs and w outputs, together with the action of cascading, form a group, isomorphic to the symmetric group S2w. Therefore, we investigate the group Snas well as one of its subgroups isomorphic to Sn/2times Sn/2. We then consider the left cosets, the right cosets, and the double cosets generated by the subgroup. Each element of a coset can function as the representative of the coset. Different choices of the coset space and different choices of the coset representatives lead to four different syntheses for implementing an arbitrary reversible logic operation into hardware. Comparison leads to a best choice: a single coset space, with representatives that are generalized TOFFOLI and FREDKIN gates.

IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC)•Sep 22, 2006•6 citations

Realization and synthesis of reversible functions throng double-coset

Fu Chen, Guowu Yang, Xiaoyu Li

Reversible circuits play an important role in quantum computation. The realization of reversible quantum circuits is required for any quantum computer to be universal. This paper1studies the realization and synthesis problem of reversible circuits. Using group theory, we present two sets of new 3-bit reversible logic gates, which included g1g2g3and nine complex gates, respectively. It is shown that any 3-bit reversible logic circuit is realizable by cascading NOT and Feynman gates, and at most one instance of our proposed gates. Given any n-bit reversible function, there are N distinct input patterns different from their corresponding outputs, where N ≤ 2n, and the other (2n- N) input patterns will be the same as their outputs. According to a synthesis example, it demonstrates that the main results are constructive and practical than others.

International Symposium on Intelligent Signal Processing and Communication Systems (ISPACS)•Dec 1, 2010•0 citations

Six Synthesis Methods for Reversible Logic

Yvan Van Rentergem, Alexis De Vos, Koen De Keyser

The (2w)! reversible transformations on w wires, i.e. reversible logic circuits with w inputs and w outputs, together with the action of cascading, form a group, isomorphic to the symmetric group S2w. Therefore, we investigate the group Sn as well as one of its subgroups isomorphic to Sn/2 × Sn/2. We then consider the left cosets, the right cosets, and the double cosets generated by the subgroup. Each element of a coset can function as the representative of the coset. The coset can then be considered as the set of all group elements that differ from the representative by merely multiplying (either to the left or to the right or to both sides) by an arbitrary element of the subgroup. Different choices of the coset space and different choices of the coset representatives lead to six different syntheses for implementing an arbitrary reversible logic operation into hardware. Evaluation of all six methods, by means of three different cost functions (gate cost, switch cost, and quantum cost), leads to a best choice.

Open Systems & Information Dynamics•Mar 1, 2007•5 citations

Reversible logic

W. David Pan, M. Nalasani

This work presents the logical reversibility. The inputs and outputs of reversible logic gates can be uniquely retrievable from each other. The reversible logic operations can't erase information and dissipate zero heat. The circuit actually operates in a backward operation, allows reproducing the inputs from the outputs and consumes zero power. As the basic elements of any logic circuit, logic gates are used to realize Boolean functions. By combining reversible logic gates, reversible circuits can perform complex logical and arithmetic operations. A one-to-one mapping between inputs and outputs is realized. The logical operations run backwards by cascading a reversible logic gate with its dual (inverse). Reversible circuits are also called lossless circuits, as there is neither energy loss nor information loss. These circuits are very attractive for applications where extremely low power consumption, or heat dissipation, is desirable in areas ranging from communications, low power VLSI (very large-scale integration) technology, optical computing to nanotechnology. Reversible logic found to be very useful in quantum computing where the quantum evolution is inherently reversible.

IEEE Potentials•Feb 1, 2005•56 citations
Logic gates with three input bits and three output bits have a privileged position within fundamental computer science: they are a sufficient building block for constructing arbitrary reversible boolean networks and therefore are the key to reversible digital computers. Such computers can, in principle, operate without heat production. As there exist as many as 8! = 40,320 different 3-bit reversible truth tables, the question arises as to which ones to choose as building blocks. Because these gates form a group with respect to the operation "cascading" , we can apply group theoretical tools, in order to make such a choice.
Reversible logic circuits are beneficial to both classical and quantum computer design. Present-day logic building-blocks (like OR gates and NAND gates) are logically irreversible and therefore cannot be used for designing reversible computers. Thus reversible computation needs an appropriate design methodology. In contrast to conventional digital logic circuits, reversible logic circuits (of a same logic width w) form a mathematical group. The reversible circuits of width w form a group isomorphic to the symmetric group S_{2^w}. Its Young subgroups allow systematic and efficient synthesis of an arbitrary reversible circuit. We can choose either a left coset, a right coset, or a double coset approach. The optimal design is reminiscent of the so-called banyan networks of telecommunication. As an illustration, three experimental prototypes (in c-MOS chip technology) of reversible computing devices are presented. Special care has been taken to avoid as much as possible the appearance of garbage bits. The examples illustrate how, in a near future, reversible computers will outperform conventional computers, in terms of power dissipation and heat generation.
Historically, logic gates have been used as building blocks for theoretical development of deterministic computation, and the assembled logic is realized in practice over physical processes such as composition of variable voltage levels in electronic circuit elements. However, much of the logic gate theory and design has focused on forward computation only, without explicit consideration of reversible execution. Here, we consider the reversibility aspect of traditional 2-bit gates and describe the concepts behind the development of reversible gates (which happen to require gates with at least 3 bit-wide inputs and outputs), and describe popular 3-bit reversible logic gates.
The (2w)! reversible transformations on w wires, i.e. reversible logic circuits with w inputs and w outputs, together with the action of cascading, form a group, isomorphic to the symmetric group S2w. Therefore, we investigate the group Snas well as one of its subgroups isomorphic to Sn/2times Sn/2. We then consider the left cosets, the right cosets, and the double cosets generated by the subgroup. Each element of a coset can function as the representative of the coset. Different choices of the coset space and different choices of the coset representatives lead to four different syntheses for implementing an arbitrary reversible logic operation into hardware. Comparison leads to a best choice: a single coset space, with representatives that are generalized TOFFOLI and FREDKIN gates.
Reversible circuits play an important role in quantum computation. The realization of reversible quantum circuits is required for any quantum computer to be universal. This paper1studies the realization and synthesis problem of reversible circuits. Using group theory, we present two sets of new 3-bit reversible logic gates, which included g1g2g3and nine complex gates, respectively. It is shown that any 3-bit reversible logic circuit is realizable by cascading NOT and Feynman gates, and at most one instance of our proposed gates. Given any n-bit reversible function, there are N distinct input patterns different from their corresponding outputs, where N ≤ 2n, and the other (2n- N) input patterns will be the same as their outputs. According to a synthesis example, it demonstrates that the main results are constructive and practical than others.
The (2w)! reversible transformations on w wires, i.e. reversible logic circuits with w inputs and w outputs, together with the action of cascading, form a group, isomorphic to the symmetric group S2w. Therefore, we investigate the group Sn as well as one of its subgroups isomorphic to Sn/2 × Sn/2. We then consider the left cosets, the right cosets, and the double cosets generated by the subgroup. Each element of a coset can function as the representative of the coset. The coset can then be considered as the set of all group elements that differ from the representative by merely multiplying (either to the left or to the right or to both sides) by an arbitrary element of the subgroup. Different choices of the coset space and different choices of the coset representatives lead to six different syntheses for implementing an arbitrary reversible logic operation into hardware. Evaluation of all six methods, by means of three different cost functions (gate cost, switch cost, and quantum cost), leads to a best choice.
This work presents the logical reversibility. The inputs and outputs of reversible logic gates can be uniquely retrievable from each other. The reversible logic operations can't erase information and dissipate zero heat. The circuit actually operates in a backward operation, allows reproducing the inputs from the outputs and consumes zero power. As the basic elements of any logic circuit, logic gates are used to realize Boolean functions. By combining reversible logic gates, reversible circuits can perform complex logical and arithmetic operations. A one-to-one mapping between inputs and outputs is realized. The logical operations run backwards by cascading a reversible logic gate with its dual (inverse). Reversible circuits are also called lossless circuits, as there is neither energy loss nor information loss. These circuits are very attractive for applications where extremely low power consumption, or heat dissipation, is desirable in areas ranging from communications, low power VLSI (very large-scale integration) technology, optical computing to nanotechnology. Reversible logic found to be very useful in quantum computing where the quantum evolution is inherently reversible.