what is electrolytic reduction ???

It is the method of reducing metals with the help of electrolysis . The metals placed high in the reactivity series are highly electropositive and they cannot be reduced simply by carbon. Thus the electrolytic reduction is done which is nothing but the electrolysis. The oxides , hydroxide and chlorides of metals in fused state are electrically reduced. Thus the metal is extracted at cathode .

Metals like Na , K, Mg , Ca , Al are obtained by electrolytic reduction.