Unconventional computing

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Thematic areas of unconventional computing

Unconventional computing is computing by any of a wide range of new or unusual methods. It is also known as alternative computing.

The term of "unconventional computation" was coined by Cristian S. Calude and John Casti and used at the "First International Conference on Unconventional Models of Computation",[1] held in Auckland, New Zealand in 1998.[2]

Background[]

The general theory of computation allows for a variety of models. Historically, however, computing technology first developed using mechanical methods, and eventually evolved into using electronic techniques, which remain the state-of-the-art. Further development may require development of new technologies.[why?]

Computational model[]

Main article: Computational model

Mechanical computing[]

Main article: Mechanical computer

Historically, mechanical computers were used in industry before the advent of the transistor.

Mechanical computers retain some interest today both in research and as analogue computers. Some mechanical computers have a theoretical or didactic relevance, such as billiard-ball computers, while hydraulic ones like the MONIAC or the Water integrator were used effectively.[3]

While some are actually simulated, others are not[clarification needed]. No attempt is made[dubious – discuss] to build a functioning computer through the mechanical collisions of billiard balls. The domino computer is another theoretically interesting mechanical computing scheme.[why?]

Electronic digital computers[]

Most modern computers are electronic computers with the Von Neumann architecture based on digital electronics, with extensive integration made possible following the invention of the transistor and the scaling of Moore's law.

Unconventional computing is, according to a[which?] conference description,[4] "an interdisciplinary research area with the main goal to enrich or go beyond the standard models, such as the Von Neumann computer architecture and the Turing machine, which have dominated computer science for more than half a century". These methods model their computational operations based on non-standard paradigms, and are currently mostly in the research and development stage.

This computing behavior can be "simulated"[clarification needed] using the classical silicon-based micro-transistors or solid state computing technologies, but aim to achieve a new kind of computing.

Generic approaches[]

These are unintuitive and pedagogical examples that a computer can be made out of almost anything.

Physical objects[]

Main articles: billiard ball computer and domino computer

Reservoir computing[]

Main article: Reservoir computing

Reservoir computing is a computational framework in the context of machine learning. The main advantage of this unconventional computing framework is that it facilitates a simple and fast learning algorithm in addition to a hardware implementation, known as a physical reservoir computer. After the input signal is fed into the reservoir, which is treated as a "black box," a simple readout mechanism is trained to read the state of the reservoir and map it to the desired output.[5]

Tangible computing[]

Main articles: , Claytronics, and Tangible user interface

Human computing[]

Main article: Human computer

Physics approaches[]

Optical computing[]

Main article: Optical computing

Optical computing uses light to compute.

Spintronics[]

Main article: Spintronics

Atomtronics[]

Main article: Atomtronics

Fluidics[]

Main article: Fluidics

Quantum computing[]

Main article: Quantum computing

Chemistry approaches[]

Molecular computing[]

Main articles: molecular scale electronics and chemical computing

Biochemistry approaches[]

Peptide computing[]

Main article: peptide computing

DNA computing[]

Main article: DNA computing

Membrane computing[]

Main article: membrane computing

Biological approaches[]

Main articles: Biologically-inspired computing, natural computing, and Biological computing

Neuroscience[]

Main articles: Neuromorphic computing and wetware computer

Some biological approaches are heavily inspired by the behavior of neurons.

Cellular automata and amorphous computing[]

Main articles: Cellular automata and Amorphous computing

Mathematical approaches[]

Analog computing[]

Main article: analog computer

Ternary computing[]

Main article: Ternary computing

Ternary computing is a type of computing that uses ternary logic (instead of binary logic).

Reversible computing[]

Main article: Reversible computing

Chaos computing[]

Main article: Chaos computing

Stochastic computing[]

Main article: Stochastic computing

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Unconventional Models of Computation 1998".
  2. ^ C.S. Calude. "Unconventional Computing: A Brief Subjective History, CDMTCS Report 480, 2015".
  3. ^ Penrose, Roger: The Emperor's New Mind. Oxford University Press, 1990. See also corresponding article on it.
  4. ^ "Unconventional computation Conference 2007".
  5. ^ Tanaka, Gouhei; Yamane, Toshiyuki; Héroux, Jean Benoit; Nakane, Ryosho; Kanazawa, Naoki; Takeda, Seiji; Numata, Hidetoshi; Nakano, Daiju; Hirose, Akira (2019-07-01). "Recent advances in physical reservoir computing: A review". Neural Networks. 115: 100–123. doi:10.1016/j.neunet.2019.03.005. ISSN 0893-6080.
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