On 13Dec08:1647-0500, Scott Ford wrote: > > On Dec 8, 2013, at 4:39 PM, John Gilmore <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The system/360 and its mainframe successors are largely binary > > machines. In particular, addressing is entirely binary. They can, > > however, do both decimal and hexadecimal arithmetic in some situations > > too. > > > > All this can be reduced to boolean algebra and, finally, to assorted > > configurations of NORs or NANDs: binary arithmetic can indeed be made > > to disappear, replaced by boolean algebra. These reductions are > > theoretically important; but, as I have had occasion to point out here > > before, you can cut yourself with Ockham's razor. > > > > In most cases it is appropriate, qua programmer although not perhaps > > qua circuit designer, to think of the z/Architecture HFP instructions > > as doing hexadecimal arithmetic and of the decimal and DFP > > instructions as doing decimal arithmetic > > I understand the z/arch somewhat, I stepped out > of the hardware arena many moons ago, my father > was involved with hardware at Unisys. I was taught > every converted down to its lowest common factor, > binary..are you saying otherwise ? You comments I > understand somewhat but I am a practical guy ..so > help me understand here
Boolean algebra is a mathematics based upon variables that can take on only two possible values. IIRC, the Soviets were rumored to have probed the attributes of trinary-state computing in the '60s or '70s and discontinued the research, but I have not located a source to confirm even the rumor. Maybe Lynn Wheeler has it in his archives. -- <not cent from sell> May the LORD God bless you exceedingly abundantly! Dave_Craig______________________________________________ "So the universe is not quite as you thought it was. You'd better rearrange your beliefs, then. Because you certainly can't rearrange the universe." __--from_Nightfall_by_Asimov/Silverberg_________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
