Tramp: An interpretive associative processor with deductive capabilities

ABSTRACT

In recent years; it has become increasingly clear that there is need for a content-addressable computer memory. Larger and larger programs are being written which require a structured data base to operate with any efficiency. Many of these could well benefit by replacing tedious searches with a fast, efficient, “content-addressable” access of the data store. A good example is the “key-word” library search. If one asks for a list of the books written by J. von Neumann, we do not expect the system to look at each title in its store and save only those written by von Neumann. And, if there happens to be a catalog prepared, designed to answer this particular question, we do not want to have to do a binary search to find the correct section of the catalog—we want to retrieve the answer directly!

REFERENCES

• 1: Calvin N. Mooers, TRAC, a procedure-describing language for the reactive typewriter, Communications of the ACM, v.9 n.3, p.215-219, March 1966 [doi>10.1145/365230.365270]
• 2: C N MOOERS L P DEUTCH TRAC a text handling language Proc ACM National Conference Cleveland August 1965 pp 229-246
• 3: D E EASTWOOD M D MclLROY Macro compiler modification of SAP Computer Laboratory Memorandum Bell Telephone Laboratories Murray Hill N J September 1959
• 4: M D MclLROY Using SAP macro instructions to manipulate symbolic expression Computer Laboratory Memorandum Bell Telephone Laboratories Murray Hill N J 1960
• 5: C STRACHEY A general purpose macrogenerator Computer Journal Vol 8 No 3 1966
• 6: A NEWELL ed Information processing language—V manual The RAND Corp Prentice-Hall Inc Englewood Cliffs N J 1961
• 7: J. Weizenbaum, Symmetric list processor, Communications of the ACM, v.6 n.9, p.524-536, Sept. 1963 [doi>10.1145/367593.367617]
• 8: I E SUTHERLAND Sketchpad A man-machine graphical communication system Proc AFIPS 1963 SJCC Spartan Books Baltimore Md pp 329-346
• 9: L G ROBERTS Graphical communications and control languages Second Congress on Information System Sciences Spartan Books Baltimore Md 1964
• 10: G G DODD APL—a language for associative data handling in PL/1 Proc AFIPS FJCC November 1966 pp 677-684
• 11: J. C. Gray, Compound data structure for computer aided design; a survey, Proceedings of the 1967 22nd national conference, p.355-365, January 1967, Washington, D.C., United States [doi>10.1145/800196.806005]
• 12: M KOCHEN Adaptive mechanisms in digital 'concept' processing Discrete Adaptive Processes Symposium and Panel Discussion AIEE New York 1962 pp 50-58
• 13: M KOCHEN Some problems in information science with emphasis on adaptation to use through man-machine interaction Vol 1 & 2 IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center Yorktown Heights N Y April 1964
• 14: Robert K. Lindsay, Inferential memory as the basis of machines which understand natural language, Computers & thought, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995
• 15: Bert F. Green, Jr. , Alice K. Wolf , Carol Chomsky , Kenneth Laughery, Baseball: an automatic question answerer, Computers & thought, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995
• 16: R. F. Simmons, Answering English questions by computer: a survey, Communications of the ACM, v.8 n.1, p.53-70, Jan. 1965 [doi>10.1145/363707.363732]
• 17: R E LEVIEN M E MARON Relational data file: a tool for mechanized inference execution and data retrieval The RAND Corp RM-4793-PR December 1965
• 18: R E LEVIEN M E MARON A computer system for inference execution and data retrieval The RAND Corp RM-5085-PR September 1966
• 19: M E MARON Relational data file I: design philosophy The RAND Corp P-3408 July 1966
• 20: J A FELDMAN Aspects of associative processing Lincoln Laboratory April 1965
• 21: J A FELDMAN P D ROVNER An associative processing system for conventional digital computers Lincoln Laboratory April 1967
• 22: W L ASH E H SIBLEY TRAMP: a relational memory with an associative base Technical Report No 5 Concomp Project The University of Michigan Ann Arbor June 1968

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.1 PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURES
      C.1.2 Multiple Data Stream Architectures (Multiprocessors)
          Subjects: Associative processors

Additional Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.3 MEMORY STRUCTURES
      B.3.2 Design Styles
          Subjects: Associative memories

General Terms:
Design