NEB: Physics-Inspired Non-Boolean Computation based on Spatial- Temporal Wave Excitations

该项目是在2020年纳米电子学和超越竞赛下授予的，得到了美国国家科学基金会多个部门和部门以及半导体研究公司纳米电子学研究计划的支持。这项工作的动机是对未来拥有数百万核的计算机芯片的设想，每个核的复杂性类似于早期的微处理器。此外，人们还设想，在这样的系统中，计算可能会以一种全新的方式完成，更类似于类似大脑的处理元素网络中的波传播。这项工作将基于此类处理器网络的时空特征识别波状非布尔计算原语，并将从物理学中已知的波行为和由此衍生的应用中获得灵感。此外，纳米电子系统将被探索，这种波型激励可能会找到一个自然的实现。本研究将在物理层面上确定基于具有时空波状动力学的纳米电子结构的计算构建块，并在计算机科学层面上确定使用此类非布尔原语执行计算的方法。这项跨学科的研究，涵盖了从纳米结构到计算新范式的整个范围，将需要一个从物理学到计算机科学的专业团队。这一提议将为一种完全不同的信息处理方法奠定基础，该方法基于大规模纳米电子处理元件阵列中的物理启发和类脑波行为。具体来说，我们的研究将确定未来计算系统的计算构建块，以及固有的状态变量，其中每个计算任务直接映射到底层物理结构。这个项目还将确定哪些信息处理任务将在这样的体系结构中找到它们的自然实现。这项拟议的研究计划与半导体研究公司（SRI）纳米电子研究倡议（NRI）以及SRC-NRI中西部纳米电子发现研究所（MIND）的活动协同进行。特别是，这项研究将与英特尔的乔治·布里亚诺夫博士合作，他领导了一个研究小组，研究超低功耗应用特定的非布尔系统，这与这里提出的研究密切相关。如果成功，这项工作将影响未来信息处理系统的信息处理方式。这项工作不仅将导致信息处理系统的渐进式改进，而且还将为计算机体系结构的全新方法打开大门。计算将不再基于基本的布尔逻辑函数，而是基于物理启发和类似脑电波的活动。这将需要对如何进行计算进行彻底的重新思考。作为这项研究的一部分，研究生将以这种新的思维方式接受教育和训练，以了解如何以更像大脑的方式完成计算。在积极的REU和RET项目的基础上，本科生和教师将参与这项工作。在一个最大限度地包容代表性不足的群体的环境中进行这项研究是一个既定的目标。

This project is awarded under the Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond competition, with support by multiple Directorates and Divisions at the National Science Foundation as well as by the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative of the Semiconductor Research Corporation. This work is motivated by the vision of future computer chips with millions of cores, where each core has a complexity similar to early microprocessors. Furthermore, it is envisioned that computation in such systems might be done in an entirely new way, more akin to wave propagation in a brain-like network of processing elements. This work will identify wave-like non-Boolean computational primitives based on the spatial-temporal characteristics of such processor networks, and inspiration will be gained from known wave behavior in physics and applications derived from these. In addition, nanoelectronic systems will be explored where such wave-type excitations might find a natural implementation. This research will identify, on the physical level, computational building blocks based on nanoelectronic structures with spatial-temporal wave-like dynamics, and on the computer science level, ways to perform computation with such non-Boolean primitives. This interdisciplinary research, which spans the whole range from nanostructures to new paradigms for computing, will require a team with expertise that spans the whole range from physics to computer science. This proposal will lay the groundwork for a radically different approach to information processing, which is based on physics-inspired and brain-like wave behavior in large-scale arrays of nanoelectronic processing elements. Specifically, our research will identify computational building blocks of future computing systems, along with the inherent state variables, where each computational task directly maps onto the underlying physical structure. This project will also identify which information-processing tasks will find their natural implementation in such architectures. This proposed research is planned in synergy with the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRI) Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) and activities at the SRC-NRI Midwest Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery (MIND). In particular, this research will partner with Dr. George Bourianoff at Intel, who leads a study group on Ultra Low Power Application Specific Non-Boolean Systems, which is closely related to the research proposed here.If successful, this work would impact the way information processing is done in future information-processing systems. This work will not merely lead to incremental improvements in information processing systems, but open the door to an entirely new approach to computer architecture. Computation no longer will be based on elementary Boolean logic functions, but on physics-inspired and brain-like wave activity. This will necessitate a complete re-thinking of how computation is being done. As part of this research, graduate students will be educated and trained in this new way of thinking about how computation is done in a more brain-like fashion. Building upon active REU and RET programs, undergraduates and teachers will participate in this work. It is a stated goal to perform this research in an environment of maximum inclusivity of underrepresented groups.