Two's Complement Multiplication

Here are a couple of ways of doing two's complement multiplication by hand. Direct implementations of these algorithms into the circuitry would result in very slow multiplication! Actual implementations are far more complex, and use algorithms that generate more than one bit of product each clock cycle. ECE 352 should cover these faster algorithms and implementations.
Remember that the result can require 2 times as many bits as the original operands. We can assume that both operands contain the same number of bits.

"No Thinking Method" for Two's Complement Multiplication

In 2's complement, to always get the right answer without thinking about the problem, sign extend both integers to twice as many bits. Then take the correct number of result bits from the least significant portion of the result.
A 4-bit, 2's complement example:

      1111 1111        -1
    x 1111 1001     x  -7
      ----------------    ------
       11111111         7
      00000000
     00000000
           11111111
          11111111
         11111111
        11111111
   +   11111111
       ----------------
        1  00000000111
              --------  (correct answer underlined)

Another 4-bit, 2's complement example, showing both the incorrect result (when sign extension is not done), and the correct result (with sign extension):

      WRONG !                Sign extended:
 0011 (3)               0000 0011 (3)
      x 1011 (-5)            x 1111 1011 (-5)
      ------                 -----------
 0011                    00000011
       0011                    00000011
      0000                    00000000
   + 0011                    00000011
   ---------                00000011
     0100001               00000011
  not -15 in any          00000011
   representation!     + 00000011
        ------------------
                1011110001
                                --------
     take the least significant 8 bits 11110001 = -15

"Slightly Less Work Method" for Two's Complement Multiplication

   multiplicand
 x   multiplier
 ----------------
    product

If we do not sign extend the operands (multiplier and multiplicand), before doing the multiplication, then the wrong answer sometimes results. To make this work, sign extend the partial products to the correct number of bits.
To result in the least amount of work, classify which do work, and which do not.

    +          -            +            -      (muliplicands)
  x +        x +          x -          x -      (mulipiers)
  ----       ----         ----         ----
   OK        sign          |            |
    extend          | take       |
   partial          | additive   |
   products         | inverses   |

       -            +
     x +          x +
     ----          ----
     sign           OK
                 extend
                partial
                products

Example:

  without                          with correct
  sign extension                   sign extension

      11100 (-4)                         11100
    x 00011 (3)                        x 00011
    ------------                      ---------
      11100                         1111111100
     11100                         1111111100
    ------------                ---------------
    1010100 (-36)                   1111110100  (-12)
     WRONG!                            RIGHT!

Another example:

    without adjustment              with correct adjustment

      11101 (-3)                       11101 (-3)
    x 11101 (-3)                     x 11101 (-3)
   -------------                    -------------
      11101                           (get additive inverse of both)
    11101
   11101                               00011 (+3)
 +11101                              x 00011 (+3)
 -----------                        -------------
 1101001001 (wrong!)                   00011
        + 00011
       ---------
          001001 (+9) (right!)