| From: | Michael Orion Jackson orion@****.cc.utexas.edu |
|---|---|
| Subject: | infinite computational machinery RE: The quantum Matrix |
| Date: | Sat, 9 Oct 1999 04:39:04 -0500 (CDT) |
like 9 months... :^D Been busy working and starting on another B.Sc.)
IIRC Von Neumann spoke of a computer that had theoretically an
infinite amount of storage (?and processing power?). I'm not quite far
enough into the theory of computation (yet, ask me again in about 3
semesters ;^) ) to have had much exposure to the formal theory, but the
implications (esp. on the classes of problems that can be solved) were
pretty big. (To a close enough approximation, current computers use a Von
Neumann Acrhitecture (processor, fast memory, slow storage memory, input,
output), btw.) A corporation could have 1,000 factories, 10,000 supply
depots, 100,000 delivery depots, and a trillion customers, and a classical
infinite Von Neumann machine would be able to find the absolute most
efficient manufacturing, supply, and deliver schedule down to the minute
in the finite time domain. Encryption as we prsently know it would
become obsolete, as the 'ideal' computer would simply be able to calculate
by brute force and test every possible key to every possible encryption
scheme in the finite time domain as well ('finite' as in 'an exact number
that is < teh projected remaining lifespan of the Universe' heh heh).
(NB: IIRC one time pad methods would theoretically still work, leading to
a thriving market in pad manufacture and secure transport, and no
doubt theft for the runners in the crowd.) The potential applications are
quite literally limitless. Imagine finding a generalized cure for cancer
by combining every chemical and natual product known or synthetically
possible into one huge database along with the biochemical information
common to tumors (receptor sites, protein structures, etc.) and sifting
through everything all at once until a match is generated. Heck, you
could even optimize the system for "find a cheap synthetic path" and have
the cure for cancer cost USD 1 per dose. ;^)
And I doubt it would run under windowsNT or win9x or w2k... ;^)
So is this device possible now, or anytime soon, like within teh
next several hundred years? Doubt it. The interesting part is, how close
do we have to get to the ideal before some of these solutions become
possible, if not optimally efficient? (c.f. the distributed computing
projects underway now like SETI@****, the RC-5 project, etc.)
(I think that was vaguely on topic, at least as imagination fodder
if nothing else... :^) )
mike
*****************Michael Orion Jackson******************
***********TAMS Class of 96/UT Class of 200?************
*********************Random Quote:**********************
*"Why me?" "Because you are in Natural Sciences,silly."*
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