Memcomputing

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Memcomputing is a new computing paradigm that is based on the idea that the memory can and should be used to compute. The idea is based on the functionality of the brain where neurons are used to both store information and process it.  In particular the following drawing shows the way a memecomputer operates. The zigzag arrow specifies that  a signal is sent.  All other arrows designate flow of information.


Now compare this architecture with the "traditional" von Neumann architecture:

I think the difference is obvious. The interesting thing with me memcomputing is that the people who designed this computer architecture published a paper where they claim that memcomputers can solve NP-complete problems. In particular, they claim that their machine can solve instances of the subset sum problem. This problem can be phrased as follows:  Consider a finite set G of integers  having n elements, is there a non-empty subset K of G whose elements sum up to s? As happens in this and other similar cases, a number of people com forward just to question the last claim without reconizing the general contribution of people. The Shtetl-Optimized blog is such a medium. What is really annoying with such media is that their authors completely ingore Socrates's dictum: I know that I know nothing…


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A comment on a comment

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Recently, "someone" posted a review of my book on hypercomputation on the Brains site. The reviewer argues that This area is full of problems, some of which are physico/mathematical and some of which are conceptual. Unfortunately, from a quick sample, Syropolous's book does not avoid common mistakes and confusions—some of which I've been trying to correct in my own work. First of all, I have to admit that back in 2004 I read a paper by this reviewer, but at that time I did not considered it interesting. However, after I read this review of my book, I read The Physical Church-Turing Thesis: Modest or Bold? , the reviewer's latest manuscript, in order to see what he meant by common mistakes and confusions and how he was trying to solve them. In this manuscript, the reviewer puts forth a number of criteria that every machine has to satisfy in order to be ``useful for physical computing.'' These criteria are: Readable Inputs and Outputs Process-Independ...
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Is the Universe a Quantum Computer?

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 The idea that the Universe (whatever we may mean by this) is a some sort of a computer is a recurring theme. Recently, Nature published an article by David L. Chandler that is entitled Could the Universe be a giant quantum computer? This article is actually a tribute to Edward Fredkin, who passed away last June. The main contribution of Fredkin to the philosophy of science is his "digital philosophy" that advocates the idea that the universe is a computer and everything in our universe is discrete. I would not like to argue against the validity of these ideas (I have done so in Hypercomputation: Computing Beyond the Church-Turing Barrier and in Demystifying Computation: A Hands-On Introduction ) . However, I would like to point out that if the Universe is not a computing device, in general, then it cannot be a quantum computer, in particular. Also, what I did not like with Chandler's article is that it takes it for granted that the Universe is a computer. He did not e...
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