An analysis of reversible multiplier circuits

Multiplier circuits play an important role in reversible computation, which is helpful in diverse areas such as low power CMOS design, optical computing, DNA computing and bioinformatics. Here we propose a new reversible multiplier circuit with optimized hardware complexity. The optimized multiplier circuit is compared with the earlier proposals. We have shown that the quantum cost of earlier proposals can be further reduced with the help of existing local optimization algorithms (e.g. template matching, moving rule and deletion rule). A systematic protocol for reduction of quantum cost has been proposed. It has also been shown that the advantage in gate count obtained in some of the earlier proposals by introduction of new reversible gates is an artifact and if it is allowed then every circuit block can be reduced to a single gate. Further, it is shown that the 4x4 reversible gates proposed for designing of a component of multiplier circuit (full adder) is neither unique nor special and many such 4x4 gates may be proposed. As example three such new gates have been presented here and it is shown that the proposed gates are universal. It is also shown that the total cost of our design is minimum.