Sorting and Rearrangeable Switching Networks

Some rearrangeable switching networks are developed by considering some familiar sorting procedures. The basic switching element in these networks is a two-state device (essentially a doublepole double-throw (DPDT) switch) that can be controlled by a comparator circuit in most cases. The complexity of the networks is discussed in terms of the number of these two-state devices and the number of stages m which these devices can be operated in parallel. Networks having more input ports than output ports are also considered.