Consider the minterm list form of a Boolean function F given below: F(P, Q, R, S) = Σm(0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11) + d(3, 8, 10, 12, 14) where m denotes a minterm and d denotes a don't-care term. What is the number of essential prime implicants of the function F?

Consider the minterm list form of a Boolean function F given below:

F(P, Q, R, S) = Σm(0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11) + d(3, 8, 10, 12, 14)

where m denotes a minterm and d denotes a don't-care term. What is the number of essential prime implicants of the function F?

(GATE 2018 | MCQ | 2-mark)