Optical Representations For Symbolic Logic
Rodney A. Schmidt, Wade Thomas Cathey · Optical Engineering · 1988
Artificial intelligence problems are solved on electronic computers by techniques that make heavy use of address calculation and dynamic management of data storage space. Optical computing, on the other hand, is normally associated with numerical problems in which the size of the data space is fixed and addressing may be handled in a predictable manner not affected by actual data values. In this paper we categorize expert system problems by the amount of dynamic storage management required and discuss several methods for eliminating unnecessary address manipulation by careful choice of data representation. Major emphasis is placed on the implementation of the mathematical technique of resolution. Various resolution strategies are analyzed, and the effect of these strategies on storage management is assessed with a view to minimizing the complexity of processing. Finally, electro-optical implementations are considered for the major functional elements of an optical resolution system.