
The future of electronics based on memristive systems - stealthcat
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-017-0006-8
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igorkraw
I've just started a PhD on neuromorphic memristive Systems at EPFL, so if
someone wants to ask questions/chat about this I will do my best to serve.
Here or via the contact info in my profile:)

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p1esk
I’m finishing a PhD on neuromorphic computing. If _you_ want to ask me about
it I will do my best to serve :)

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igorkraw
Heh cool, what did you work on? What did you find the hardest? What do you
regret not having time for/would you like to add to what you did?

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p1esk
I've worked on HW/SW codesign, for mixed signal chips, initially for convnets
and image recognition, and later as a more general DL architecture. My advisor
is the guy who "found the missing memristor" at HP in 2008.

Looking back now I regret going into HW field. I should have applied to CS
rather than ECE, and focus on DL algorithms (especially RL), or maybe even
something like what Numenta is doing, because my primary interest is AI, not
hardware to run AI.

The hardest part has been being the only DL/ML specialist in my group.
Everyone else here is more HW-oriented. I only understood this when I did an
internship where I worked with people I could learn from/discuss ideas with.

I looked at your CV, and my guess is that for you, the hardest part will be to
focus on one thing for the next 4 years.

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igorkraw
Thanks for sharing and this:

>I looked at your CV, and my guess is that for you, the hardest part will be
to focus on one thing for the next 4 years.

Is an astute observation although I've found more than enough things in my lab
to keep my interest so far^^"

Could you please link or mail me some of your publications? I'd greatly
appreciate it

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p1esk
Our group page:
[https://sites.google.com/site/strukov](https://sites.google.com/site/strukov)

If you like to chat more, send me an email.

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kensai
The last paragraph is everything!

"We conclude by noting that biology has always served and will continue to
serve as a great inspiration to develop methods for achieving lower-power and
real-time learning systems. However, just as birds in nature may have inspired
modern aeronautics technology, we eventually moved in new directions and
capabilities for faster travel, larger carrying capacities and entirely
different fuelling requirements. Similarly, in computing, modern application
needs to go beyond those faced in nature, such as searching large databases,
efficiently scheduling resources or solving highly coupled sets of
differential equations. Interestingly, some of the observed characteristics in
memristors may similarly provide ‘beyond biology’ opportunities in computing,
taking advantage of the novel device dynamical behaviour and the network
topology inspired by biology. In this regard, concepts such as the memory
processing unit represent truly exciting opportunities down the road. To
achieve these and other new computing systems of the future will require
persistent and creative research that goes beyond any single discipline, and
must include insights from neuroscience, physics, chemistry, computer science,
and electrical and computer engineering, among others."

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JumpCrisscross
I don’t understand. Can someone please dumb it down one setting on the dial?
What makes this obviously superbiologically capable?

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T-A
The obvious things are size, speed and integration with existing computers.

A neuron is measured in micrometers, a memristor in nanometers (and the paper
suggests even single-atom devices may be possible).

A neuron can fire at most a couple hundred times per second; a memristor has
"subnanosecond switching speed", i.e. it operates in the usual GHz operating
frequency range of modern computers.

And you can integrate them at the circuit level, so they can draw on the
superbiological capabilities of existing computers at native speed.

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igorkraw
Downsides:

* routing is a BITCH

* cooling is a BITCH

* noise is a slightly nicer BITCH

* we are very early in building real stuff with this

But yeah, it's cool, I hope it works out (otherwise I chose a deadend/false
start for my PhD :-)

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kurtisc
Beyond replacing current transistor logic, I find it theoretically pleasing
that memristors fill the gap to complete the linking of current, voltage,
charge, and flux with the existing 3 fundamental passive devices. What would
basic circuit analysis lessons look like 10 years after they become
commonplace?

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twtw
> What would basic circuit analysis lessons look like 10 years after they
> become commonplace?

Exactly the same as they do now. Memristors aren't linear time-invariant, so
it's extremely unlikely that they would show up in a basic circuit analysis
lesson.

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contoraria
Not even inductors or caps are in a basic circuit analysis course. But this
quadriga of passive components was at least mentioned in the very beginning of
the first ee semester, components class which focused the physical effects
(and was notoriously hard).

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coldtea
The "future" should be in quotes. Articles have been selling these BS for 20
years now --- and we're gonna get the same articles for the next 30 years at
least....

