Abstract

There are a number of schemes to perform optical arithmetic computation. While there are parallel carry-free computation models that require cumbersome preprocessing and postprocessing, most digital approaches use direct binary digital computation. Such an approach is serial and requires bit-by-bit computation. Optical implementation of an inherently serial algorithm is generally undesirable. Associative memory processors are inherently parallel and, using appropriate training patterns, are nonalgorithmic. The major disadvantage of such processors is that the number of training patterns is large, leading to large, possibly unrealizable, associative memory requirements, and because the patterns are nonorthogonal and there are imperfections in the physical devices, some of the thus generated results may be in error. Using different classification and error-correcting schemes, the adverse features of an LAM are controlled.

© 1987 Optical Society of America