The Ternary Computing Manifesto
Douglas W. Jones advocates for ternary computing to boost security and cut data leakage. Ternary logic offers efficient data representation, potentially reducing malware threats and enhancing computer architecture with smaller wiring. Jones explores fast addition, heptavintimal encoding, and ternary data types, proposing Trillium and Tritium architectures for future systems.
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Douglas W. Jones proposes a shift to ternary computing as a means to enhance security and reduce information leakage in digital infrastructure. By using base 3 instead of base 2, the incompatibility with existing systems is maximized, potentially minimizing malware threats. Ternary logic allows for efficient representation of data, with one trit equivalent to 1.58 bits. This shift could lead to smaller interconnect wiring in computer architecture, despite potentially requiring more transistors. Jones discusses various aspects of ternary computing, including fast addition, heptavintimal encoding, and ternary data types for programmers. The Trillium and Tritium architectures are introduced as potential computer systems based on 9-trit and 27-trit words, respectively. The exploration of ternary computing presents both challenges and opportunities for the future of digital systems.
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4 commentsThere are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary, those that don't, and those that didn't expect this joke to be in ternary.
I'm struggling to see how it's a manifesto instead of a design spec. I was hoping to learn the perceived advantages of this architecture. (With a lot of brain power I could probably figure that out, but I haven't had my coffee yet.)
Regardless, it's an impressive amount of work to spec out a ternary computer, although I think the Russians did it a long time ago.
EDIT: I did a lot of work with an expert system that had ternary logic (1=true, -1=false, 0=uncertain) over floating point values so I like the concept. I'm just not sure it extends to general computing.
and
> While this work began as something of a joke, there are some very serious reasons that ternary logic may have value.
Not sure I'm convinced...
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