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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. 42, NO. 2, MAY 1999

A Simple Proof of Millers Theorem

Milena D. Davidovi c

Abstract A new very simple proof of Millers theorem with a clear physical interpretation is given. It may improve students understanding of the theorem. Index Terms Basic circuits, electronic circuits.

LASSICAL Millers results [1] were generalized and given in a form of Millers theorem by Millman and Halkias [2]. Their proof of the theorem practically unchanged is present in almost all introductory electronic circuits texts. In this work a different proof that may improve students understanding of the essence of the theorem is given. Consider an arbitrary circuit conguration with at least three distinct nodes. Nodes 1 and 2 are interconnected with an impedance Z (Fig. 1). Let us denote the voltages of the nodes 1, 2, 3 by V1 ; V2 ; V3 ; respectively, where V3 = 0 since 3 is the reference node. To prove the theorem we replace Z by two series impedances Z1 and Z2 ; chosen so that the following relations hold:
Z1 V
0

Fig. 1. The original circuit.

+ 3 =

Z2 V

= 3 =0

(1) (2)

Fig. 2. The auxiliary equivalent circuit.

where V30 is the voltage of the new node 30 (Fig. 2). All voltages and currents remain the same because of (1). Therefore 0 V3 can be expressed in terms of the newly introduced impedances Z1 ; Z2 and the node voltages as
V3
0

= 1+
V

Z1

V2 Z1

0 +

V1 Z2

(3)

From (1)(3) we obtain

Z1

(a)

= 1 1 0 12 1 2 = 1 10 1
Z Z

V =V1 :

(4) (5)

V =V2

If the nodes 30 and 3 are short-circuited the voltages and currents are not affected since V30 = V3 (Fig. 3). Hence, the circuits in Figs. 1 and 3(a) are equivalent. Obviously the circuit in Fig. 3(a) may be depicted in the form as in Fig. 3(b) which is present in the standard proof of Millers theorem. Many students do not understand the standard proof quite well and come to believe that the limitations with regard to the applicability of the theorem are caused by nonequivalence of circuits from Figs. 1 and 3 under some particular circumstances. The proof given above and the addition of Figs. 2 and 3(a) to the circuit representation of Millers theorem may help them to learn that it is possible to nd
Manuscript received March 12, 1997; revised November 30, 1998. The author is with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11001, Yugoslavia. Publisher Item Identier S 0018-9359(99)03956-4.

(b) Fig. 3. The Miller equivalence.

Miller equivalence whenever the right-hand sides of (4) and (5) make sense, that is when the relations
V1

6= 2 ;
V

V1

6= 3 ;
V

V2

6=

V3

(6)

hold. In other words the theorem is valid in all nontrivial cases.

00189359/99$10.00 1999 IEEE

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. 42, NO. 2, MAY 1999

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In order to encourage students to use the theorem it should be stressed that the correct application of the theorem can never lead to errors in actual calculations. However, the application of the theorem might not necessarily simplify calculations. REFERENCES
[1] J. M. Miller, Dependence of input impedance of a three-electrode vacuum tube upon the load in the plate circuit, Sci. Papers, Nat. Bureau Standards, no. 351, pp. 367385, 1919. [2] J. Millman and C. C. Halkias, Integrated Electronics: Analog and Digital Circuits and Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972, pp. 255256.

Milena D. Davidovic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on August 3, 1975. She is a student of electrical engineering at the University of Belgrade. She was champion of Serbia in mathematics in 1993 and champion of Yugoslavia in mathematics and a winner of bronze medal at the 11th Balkan Mathematical Olympiad in 1994.