why don't we use ternary computers?

[c1c2c3c4c]

im trying to figure out why we are using binary computers insted of ternary. from what i can tell the only valid argument is the cost of storage.

basicly for those of you who dont know that a ternary computer is, its a computer that uses three positions of the digital wave form as imputs so yo have +1 0 -1 interperated as 1 0 2 insted the the normal +1 -1 being interperated as 1 0.

acording to my research there are existing storage mediums that are capable of storing 3 positions but they just cost more.

i also heard somwhere that a trinary cpu can interperate binary or trinary fluently as long as it has a indicator of which format the data is in so compatability shouldnt be a answer but correct me if im wrong.

given the limited cons im left without any idea why supercomputers dont use a ternary system?

[caperjack]

I actuall never new there was 2 possibilities and frankly I as a basic computer user really don't care that there 2 types ,but im sure all the grat computer minds would have use the other if it had been more feasible to do so
maybe you/me could be the first to do so and make billions

acording to my research there are existing storage mediums that are capable of storing 3 positions but they just cost more.

when you are selling to the masses cost is everything

[rubberman]

Isn't this kind of where we are going with quantum computing, where a bit can encode more than 2 (0 or 1) values? Anyway, most of the cost would be involved with providing compatibility. Yes a 3-state computer could interpret (if instructed to do so) dual-state data, but it wouldn't be easy (or fast) to go the otherway, so anything generated using 3-state logic with a trinary computer would not be accessible by common 2-state machines...

[c1c2c3c4c]

yea it cuts computing time due to the trit's ability to hold more data than a bit
+00--++0-+-+0-0-00 in trinary (18) = 111101010111100110100010101 in binary (27)
(dec=123456789)

its also great for data tree storage http://en.trinary.ru/projects/thencoder/

either way i need to find more cons of a trinary computer in order to write a argument about why we should use trinary computers over binary. data storage price isn't a valid argument given there are large supercomputers in this world that where built with the sole task of going as fast as posible regardless of component price.becouse of this any paper i write will seem to be argueing about nothing.

(given my paper is due monday i think ill just write about something else for now.)

[c1c2c3c4c]

rubber it seems to me that you would be using a binary packet for internet connections. so in theory the trinary computer would just need a binary command line and it would reply in binary alternatly if the first code sent to it is a 2 it would know your working in trinary and the outputs would be in trinary.

correct me if im wrong but that to me seems like a issue that could eaisly be solved by the architecture of the cpu.

[rubberman]

You make some interesting points c1c2c3c4c (can I just call you checksum?). Any technical problem, once it is proven solvable, is amenable to improvements, and cost/prices is mostly a matter of scale - the more devices of the specific type that exist and are sold in the market, the lower the price gets, and the faster the technology is moved forward, mostly by those who want to make a profit out of the "new thing".

Anyway, I see what you are saying about encoding data in trinary vs. binary trees. This is a VERY old technique in database programming. I was writing multi-order balanced trees (see Knuth Vol.3, Sorting and Searching) back in the 1980's to rapidly sort random data sets. What you are getting at, I think, is a system where each bit can encode 3 instead of 2 values. To me, that is another animal entirely! That said, I will be the first to admit that I don't know everything in this domain, even after 30+ years doing bleeding edge software engineering. So, this 3-value vs. 2-value encoding thing is why I mentioned quantum computing, which does just that, at a sub-atomic level. I think you need to do some reading in that area of tech, assuming that you haven't already (I am probably wrong, correct?).

Interesting conversation. I'm interested in continuing. :-)