This presentation explores a viable alternative to existing computing and information processing technologies. In fact, a superior information processing capability can generally be found in nature – not in speed and capacity, but in intelligence. A complex thermodynamic system called a ‘Dissipative Structure’, which is common in physical, chemical, and biological systems, has surpassed traditional digital processing systems as the former, the dissipative structure, as suggested by relevant theories, possesses an ability to process information at a higher level (i.e., at semantic and pragmatic level). Therefore, this quality provides a possibility for developing a new type of information processing system that entirely works by different logics and mechanics from traditional systems and opens up a new area of research.

1. Information Processing by Complex
Thermodynamic Systems: A Search
for a New Computing Feasibility
Doy Sundarasaradula, Ph.D.
TOT Innovation Institute
TOT Public Company Limited, Thailand
IEEE-ICITIS 2011

2. Presentation Outline
• Limitations of traditional digital computing
systems
• Levels of information
• Information processing & thermal energy
conversion
• Equivalence between energy & information
• Dissipative structures
• Information processing by a dissipative structure

3. Limitations of traditional digital
computing systems
• Traditional digital systems (e.g., digital
computers)
– Highly constrained
– Precisely laid out
– Not very fault tolerant
– Largely serial
– Centralised
– Deterministic
– Minimally adaptive

4. Limitations of traditional digital
computing systems
• Biological computing systems (e.g., brains)
– Massively parallel
– Densely connected with leaky transmission paths
– Fault tolerant
– Self repairing
– Adaptive
– Noisy and stochastic

5. Levels of information
• Syntactic (e.g., signs, symbols, etc.)
• Semantic (e.g., mutual understanding
between senders and receivers)
• Pragmatic (e.g., mutual understanding
between senders and receivers + mutual
interactions)

6. Information processing & thermal
energy conversion
Heat reservoir at high
temperature Th
Heat reservoir at
low temperature Tc
Heat engine
Qh
Qc
W = Qh - Qc
Figure 3. Working principle of heat engine based on Carnot theory
Non-Adaptive/
Rigid Structures

7. Information processing & thermal
energy conversion
Less organised data
(in electrical energy
input or signaling
format, etc.)
Low quality
thermal
energy/entropy
dissipation
Microprocessor/
Microcontroller
Figure 4. Working principle of microprocessor-based information processing
systems
More useful and
organised information
(electrical signaling,
etc.)
Non-Adaptive/
Rigid Structures

8. Equivalence between energy &
information
“According to the Shannon’s and
Weaver’s information theory, a bit of
information is equal to kln2 or approx.
10-23 joules per degree Kelvin, where k
is Boltzmann’s Constant (Tribus and
McIrvine, 1971).”

9. Dissipative Structures (Brusselators)
X Y
Figure 1. The cyclical organization of the Brusselator with an autocatalytic step of X.
A
B
E D
Adaptive/Interactive
Structures
.
32
EX
DYXB
XYX
XA




XBXYXA
dt
dX
 2
YXBX
dt
dY 2


10. Information processing by a
dissipative structure
Figure 2. The dynamic of pragmatic information within a dissipative structure
BA
Novelty Confirmation
Autopoiesis
LevelofPragmaticinformation
Complete
Chaos
Complete
Stagnation

11. Output signals generated by a
Brusselator
10:50 30 Aug 2008
Figure 10.86 A test result - Flow Constant 5 is set at 0.00472
Page 1
0.00 4000.00 8000.00 12000.00 16000.00
Time
1:
1:
1:
0
10
20
1: X1
1 1
1
1

12. Output signals generated by a
Brusselator
10:50 30 Aug 2008
Figure 10.87 A test result - Flow Constant 5 is set at 0.00472
Page 1
0.00 4000.00 8000.00 12000.00 16000.00
Time
1:
1:
1:
0
10
20
1: Y1
1
1
1
1

13. Influx affected by system’s activity
10:50 30 Aug 2008
Figure 10.88 A test result - Flow Constant 5 is set at 0.00472
Page 1
0.00 4000.00 8000.00 12000.00 16000.00
Time
1:
1:
1:
0
10
20
1: Source1
1 1 1 1

14. Influx affected by system’s activity
Dissipative
systems
Energy fluxes
from the
environment

15. Questions?
Xie xie nin men!