SNAP: a market-propagation architecture for knowledge processing

Author

Moldovan, Dan ; Lee, Wing ; Lin, Changhwa

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng.-Syst., Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Volume

3

Issue

4

fYear

1992

fDate

7/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

397

Lastpage

410

Abstract

The semantic network array processor (SNAP), a highly parallel architecture targeted to artificial intelligence applications, and in particular natural language understanding, is presented. The knowledge is represented in a form of the semantic network. The knowledge base is distributed among the elements of the SNAP array, and the processing is performed locally where the knowledge is stored. A set of powerful instructions specific to knowledge processing is implemented directly in hardware. SNAP is packaged into 256 custom-designed chips assembled on four printed circuit boards and can store a 16 K node semantic network. SNAP is a marker propagation architecture in which the movement of markers between cells is controlled by propagation rules. Various reasoning mechanisms are implemented with these marker propagation rules

Keywords

knowledge based systems; knowledge representation; natural languages; parallel architectures; 16 kB; SNAP; artificial intelligence; custom-designed chips; knowledge base; knowledge processing; knowledge representation; knowledge storage; marker propagation rules; market-propagation architecture; natural language understanding; parallel architecture; printed circuit boards; reasoning mechanisms; semantic network array processor; Artificial intelligence; Assembly; Computer architecture; Hardware; Humans; Mechanical factors; Natural languages; Packaging; Parallel architectures; Printed circuits;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Parallel and Distributed Systems, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1045-9219

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/71.149959

Filename

149959