Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!JAY@USC-ECLC
From: JAY@USC-ECLC@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: data flow computers and PS's
Message-ID: <3603@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 28-Jul-83 16:52:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3603
Posted: Thu Jul 28 16:52:00 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 1-Aug-83 08:49:08 EDT
Lines: 31

From:  Jay 

(more speculation)

 There has been some developement of computers suited to certain  high
level languages, includeing  the LISP machines.   There has also  been
some research  into non-Von  Neuman machines.   One  such  machine  is
the Data Flow Machine.

  The data flow machine differs from the conventional computer in that
ALL  instructions  are  initiated  when  the  program  starts.    Each
instruction waits  for  the  calculations yeilding  its  arguments  to
finish before it finishes.

  This machine seems,  to  me,  to be  ideally  suited  to  Production
Systems/Expert Systems.   Each  rule would  be  represented as  a  few
instructions (the IF part of the  production) and the THEN part  would
be represented by the completion of  the rule.  For example, the  rule
(Month-is-june AND Sun-is-up) ->  (Temperature-is-high) would be coded
as:

Temperature-is-high:    AND
                       /   \
                     /       \
                   /           \
          (Month-is-june)   (Sun-is-up)

  Where (Month-is-june) and (Sun-is-up) are represented as either
other rules, or as data (which I assume completes instantly).

j'