A heat engine model of a reversible computation

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Proceedings of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/5.53401· OSTI ID:6675349

Jablonski, D G ^[1]

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1. Supercomputing Research Center, Bowie, MD (US)

Using the tools of information theory and thermodynamics, reversible computation at the binary level is modeled as a heat engine operating in a Carnot cycle. The model defines an information-theoretic temperature for a binary system, and predicts that reversible computation can be accomplished without the dissipation of energy. However, in the worst case limit, kT log 2 joules of stored energy per operation per bit are required. Furthermore, T is not the ambient temperature, but the information-theoretic temperature, which for this case is infinite.

• OSTI ID: 6675349
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA), Vol. 78:5; ISSN 0018-9219
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
CARNOT CYCLE
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
HEAT ENGINES
THERMODYNAMICS
BINARY-FLUID SYSTEMS
DISSIPATION FACTOR
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENGINES
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
140700* - Solar Thermal Power Systems
200102 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Power Cycles
990200 - Mathematics & Computers
425000 - Engineering- Power Cycles- (1980-)