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Mechanical Computing: The Computational Complexity of Physical Devices

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Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science

Definition of the Subject

Mechanical devices for computation appear to be largely displaced by the widespreaduse of microprocessor‐based computers that are pervading almost all aspects of our lives. Nevertheless, mechanical devices for computation are ofinterest for at least three reasons:

(a):

Historical: The use of mechanical devices for computation is of central importance in the historical study of technologies, with a history dating back thousands of years and with surprising applications even in relatively recent times.

(b):

Technical & Practical: The use of mechanical devices for computation persists and has not yet been completely displaced by widespread use of microprocessor‐based computers. Mechanical computers have found applications in various emerging technologies at the micro‐scale that combine mechanical functions with computational and control functions not feasible by purely electronic processing. Mechanical computers also have been demonstrated at the molecular...

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Abbreviations

Mechanism :

A machine or part of a machine that performs a particular task computation: the use of a computer for calculation.

Computable :

Capable of being worked out by calculation, especially using a computer.

Simulation :

The term simulation will be used to denote both the modeling of a physical system by a computer as well as the modeling of the operation of a computer by a mechanical system; the difference will be clear from the context.

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Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank Charles Bennett for his numerous suggestions and very important improvements to this survey. This work has been supportedby NSF grants CCF-0432038 and CCF-0523555.

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  1. Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, USA

    John H. Reif

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  1. RAMTECH LIMITED, 122 Escalle Lane, Larkspur, CA, 94939, USA

    Robert A. Meyers Ph. D. (Editor-in-Chief) (Editor-in-Chief)

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Reif, J.H. (2009). Mechanical Computing: The Computational Complexity of Physical Devices. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30440-3_325

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