[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 128 KB, 931x685, 1949-electronic-analog-computer.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
9528147 No.9528147 [Reply] [Original]

Are analog computers the future? Are quantum computers analog?

>> No.9528154

yes, here is the evidence, behold the radix economy of base 3:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radix_economy

>> No.9528156

>>9528147
No. Not necessarily.

>> No.9528157

>>9528154
>Are analog computers the future?
yes to this
>Are quantum computers analog?
No idea but curious about that myself, since it uses multiple/superimposed states it might be considered so.

>> No.9528161

>>9528157
Analog computers are not the future. They are too noisy and really aren't faster. Plus they aren't universal like regular digital computers are

>> No.9528170

>>9528161
some are and analog does not mean it has to be vacuum tubes does it? optical or magnetic circuits are in development and they could make for a new type of analog transistor... Well I hope that happens at least, would be pretty cool.

>> No.9528172

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S5RDWxe33w

>> No.9528187

>>9528154
What does this have to do with analog computing? I hope you don't think analog means "not binary".

>> No.9528192

>>9528187
it means not digital.

tell me what logic besides boolean a digital computer runs nowadays then...

>> No.9528194

>>9528147
>Are quantum computers analog?
No.
You don't measure a superposition of state, since a superposition isn't an observable, so no they are not analog.

>> No.9528195
File: 9 KB, 148x87, 61946384.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
9528195

>>9528147
>analog

Why are you so afraid of progress ?

>> No.9528199

>>9528192
Ternary logic is not boolean but it is certainly digital--not analog.

>> No.9528203

how would an analog computer work?

>> No.9528216

>>9528199
digital and analog are not the terms used to describe logic though. But since we had no way until now to handle analog signals in commercial computers, all of them are considered digital and all compute with boolean logic.

analog computers computed with waveforms rather than discrete values which in my opinion makes them considerable as not binary as well...

The whole terminology is difficult. but digital is a type of signal interpretation whereas analog is direct signal conversion.

>> No.9528219

>>9528216
isn't it the other way around, digital is used to convert continuous analog signals into discrete ones.

>> No.9528228 [DELETED] 

>>9528203
I honestly have no idea but I imagine it using superimpositions of two waveforms (light, electromagnetic,...) as states, rather than a single waveform (electrical) and and its difference (~0V and >~0V).

the problem is that all our digital infrastructure runs on discrete logic at the moment. but using discrete logic to interpret a analog computers output would be counterproductive.

>digital is used to convert continuous analog signals into discrete ones.
correct. that's what I called signal interpretation... maybe I wasn't clear but I meant what you meant.
analog converts the signal directly, for example an amplifier to a e-guitar needs no logic board to convert the electromagnetic waveforms to electric waveforms, which then get converted into kinetic waveforms (sound)

>> No.9528238

>>9528203
Digital is easier to perform math on.
Analog loses less in transit in theory. In practice optic fiber beats the shit out of any analog transmission in loss even after dac.

>> No.9528241
File: 3.69 MB, 346x228, recoil.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
9528241

>>9528219
>isn't it the other way around, digital is used to convert continuous analog signals into discrete ones.
yes, I meant what you meant.

the instrument theremin is an example of an analog device because with your hands you influence a electromagnetic field, the changes of which can made to be directly converted to electrically produced sound... problem is that most of the speakers are not analog anymore, so sooner or later your wave will become 0s and 1s.

>> No.9528242

>>9528238
Source?

>> No.9528246

>>9528238
agreed but optic fibre is only used to transport digital signals. how do you define analog transmission?

sadly there are no computers built out of optical cables (yet)

>> No.9528650

>anolog computers


What, are we in the 1940s?

>> No.9530231

>>9528246
>sadly there are no computers built out of optical cables (yet)

There never will be, cutting edge transistors are like seven silicon atoms wide. In my VLSI class we were designing based on really old specs and the transistors were still narrower than one wavelength of purple light. Theoretically quantum computers could be based on light (if a photon is in one polarized state vs. another, it can represent a qubit) but I don't think that's how it normally goes.

>> No.9530650

>>9530231
who says future transistors have to be made out of silicon?