Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 23:59:21 GMT Server: Apache/1.2-dev Connection: close Content-Type: text/html Last-Modified: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 06:14:50 GMT ETag: "16266-e46-327edb5a" Content-Length: 3654 Accept-Ranges: bytes Mike's Reversible Computing Page

Mike's Reversible Computing Page

What's Reversible Computing?

This means computing in such a way that it always remains possible to reconstruct any previous state of the computation from the current state. (Follow the above link for more details.)

The MIT Reversible Computing Project

The MIT Reversible Computing project aims to build a working electronic CPU that is capable of totally reversible operation, and that can take advantage of its reversibility to function using vastly less energy per operation than traditional circuits. Our chip may enable new applications in energy-limited environments within just a few years. In the longer term, reversible computing will be vital in order for future generations of extremely high-density, fast-running computers to be able to avoid ever-increasing requirements for active cooling.

Mike's Work on the Project

Here are some things that I've done (or helped do) relating to reversible computing. Mostly I am studying the high-level impact of reversibility---on complexity theory, programming languages, operating systems, and applications---but I am also helping with lower level tasks of instruction sets and circuit design as well.
Programming Reversible Computers.
My Ph.D. thesis proposal, in progress.
Tick: The First Reversible CPU.
We recently created a chip that is, as far as we know, the first-ever fabricated CPU that executes a reversible instruction set (although the chips have not yet been tested). The above document is a preliminary report on Tick's design, in postscript format, 8MB long due to detailed layouts.
Low-Energy Computing for Implantable Medical Devices.
I delivered this talk to an audience of our colleagues in MEDG on 2/21/96.
Quantum Computing.
This page conveys the results of my studies on this topic for my area exam in Feb. '96. Quantum computing is a topic that is closely related to reversible computing.
Bibliography on Reversible Computing.
A shared resource in our project.
Memo on reversible control flow instructions.
This is an old working memo I wrote which outlines an early version of the reversible control flow instructions used in our instruction set architecture. It is flawed and badly needs revision, so please don't quote it or redistribute it.

Some Interesting Related Conferences

ISLPE&D '96.
Int'l Symp. on Low Power Electronics and Design.
PhysComp '96.
Fourth Workshop on Physics and Computation.


[At some point the information above should perhaps be merged into the home page created for our project earlier by Carlin.]

Mike Frank, 10/17/96