Scientists develop new type of memory circuit
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, April 30 (Reuters) - It took about 40 years to
find it, but scientists at Hewlett-Packard (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on
Wednesday they discovered a fourth basic type of electrical
circuit that could lead to a computer you never have to boot
up.
The finding proves what until now had only been theory --
but could save millions from the tedium of waiting for a
computer to find its "place," the researchers said.
Basic electronics theory teaches that there are three
fundamental elements of a passive circuit -- resistors,
capacitors and inductors.
But in the 1970s, Leon Chua of the University of California
at Berkeley, theorized there should be a fourth called a memory
resistor, or memristor, for short, and he worked out the
mathematical equations to prove it.
Now, a team at Hewlett-Packard led by Stanley Williams has
proven that 'memristance' exists.
clipped from: www.reuters.com