Chapter 201, Wang Qi’s Foundation

Translator: Tamon

 

The Neumann bottleneck referred to the von Neumann calculator’s limitation when performing calculations, wasting time and having a lower efficiency. The better the hardware, the faster the computational power, but the more glaring this weakness became.

 

There were many storing functions dependent on the Neumann calculator, making the difficult development lead to stagnation.

 

To solve this problem, Earth’s scientists delved into non-von Neumann architecture.

 

But just like non-Euclidean geometry was Euclidean geometry’s extension, non-von Neumann architecture built upon its base architecture as well, just another way of expressing the core principle of von Neumann architecture.

 

Regardless of how computers changed, processing, controlling, storing, inputting, and outputting—these five basic operations—were a must. Even if future computers lacked the specific hardware to fulfill these functions, it would still separate these five operations as concepts.

 

Using this mathematical model for the foundation was doable!

 

“However…” Wang Qi rubbed his chin. “If I figured it out, others must have as well.”

 

Zhen Chanzi asked, “What’s on your mind?”

 

“Check reference material.” Wang Qi stood to go to the library, only to sit back down and facepalm. “I have a personal calculator, so why bother going to the library?”

 

[My thinking hasn’t gotten used to the idea.]

 

Having inspected the calculator’s structure, Wang Qi poured a lot of spiritual power and spiritual sense into the jade token to put his mark on it. Wang Qi placed his hand on it, and then a blue ‘desktop’ light screen popped up.

 

He’d used the library’s copper mirror calculator before, so he was familiar with how it operated. He was quick to use it to enter the All-immortal Realm and look over materials regarding foundations.

 

[How fortunate this world has no broadband but WiFi instead, or it’d still need a wire to go online.] Wang Qi retrieved the Immortal Alliance’s database in reference to foundations.

 

Foundation Establishment was a specialization. A foundation’s principle, choice, and structure all had specific theories. Just that the research was still as an ‘art,’ very shallow. The research was only done when a late Qi Refining cultivator was about to reach Foundation Establishment, or a clan’s precious junior had his eye on a specific foundation. Most of the time, it was never regarded as a separate domain, being research under other major domains depending on the topic.

 

“But it’s still weird.” Wang Qi pointed at a table on the illusory screen. “Modern cultivation’s most important and greatest theories are only one or two dozen merits. Then this single-use Collection of Foundation Establishment Theories being over a hundred merits. A high first-grade foundation’s detailed structure and fundamental theory goes for three hundred.”

 

“Promoting theories is probably to help sharper disciples stand out from the masses.” Zhen Chanzi pointed out. “Main theories are also so anyone can research them somewhat, thus making disciples spend more time sharpening their mentalities and refining their spiritual power.”

 

Wang Qi nodded. “Probability, but the extra clause says great sect disciples take priority.”

 

“The five best true disciples get sixty percent off, the five best inner disciples and first-rate sect true disciples get fifty, while first-rate sect inner disciples and second-rate sect true disciples get forty percent…”

 

Zhen Chanzi pondered. “It’s going against rogue cultivators.”

 

“Of course it does.” Wang Qi spoke the obvious. “When seeking Dao, there’s strength in numbers, and it avoids repeating the same research.”

 

The real talent, or a scientist for that matter, wouldn’t stray from academic circles. The more grasp of the academic circles’ standard of the ‘science language’ one had, the easier it was to fit in. The best example was Hua Ruogeng, starting off as a rogue cultivator that entered the Myriad Arts Sect and later rising to become the Vice Sect Leader. Enough talent would make you the center of the academic community, no matter the vile personality or how much of a loner one was—like Arbiter of Arithmetic Poincare, with no friends to speak of.

 

The rogue cultivators disassociated with this group were usually synonymous with a lack of theoretical knowledge. As for the talented rogue cultivators, they would be absorbed in suitable sects with the discounts.

 

There was no Eminence cultivator among rogue cultivators, an obvious development in today’s modern cultivation.

 

Looking closer over the list, Wang Qi whistled. “I get it now.”

 

Zhen Chanzi perked up. “Get what?”

 

“Someone did think of using Neumann structure for foundation, “Wang Qi pointed at the list of materials, “since the Neumann structure is the Turing structure’s application, so they thought of using this way of reducing the difficulty of forming a Copper Elegance foundation.

 

“Someone is bound to find this hack sooner or later. The newest are a third-grade and a low fourth-grade foundations based on this structure.”

 

“Third? Low forth?” Zhen Chanzi didn’t like it. “Too low.”

 

“Well, they are patched jobs of Copper Elegance foundation.”

 

Zhen Chanzi was skeptical. “Then why are you thinking of using it?”

 

“Others deduced a third-grade and low fourth-grade foundation because of limited resources.” Wang Qi spoke sternly. “Not me. I just figured out that this way will include many of my cultivation methods.”

 

Connecting von Neumann structure’s five basic operations was the core of this theory. Non-von Neumann structure also fit, just as non-Euclidean geometry retained Euclidean geometry’s four axioms.

 

“Because it’s a calculator, it’s naturally tuned to Divine Hexagram Computation and the Book of Geometry.

 

“Then there’s this world’s von Neumann architecture but without a bus. It’s using field…. Celestial Hymn Odyssey is one of the first mental arts to give physical meaning to fields. And many other mental arts can use decoherence to join together.

 

“Computers naturally use information theory. Celestial Entropy could be integrated through the information entropy concept.

 

“Evolution means change, but the process of evolution is recorded in the genetic material of all living things. And this genetic material is itself expressed like a ‘program’… Evolution Chart can thus be used as storage.

 

“For the output, Grand Ripple Enigma can make invisible matter waves, expressed in any form.

 

“Waveform Essence uses the observer effect, collapsing when observed. For me, it means that just sensing the spiritual power within is enough to change its nature. This is the most natural ‘input’ out there.”

 

The more he thought, the more excited Wang Qi got.

 

“Neumann structure is the application of the Turing machine; that means that I can refer Copper Elegance foundation. Then there are the two lacking foundations I can consult as well.”

 

With that idea, all Wang Qi was missing was over six hundred merits to exchange for Foundation Establishment materials from the Immortal Alliance. If he became a true disciple, he’d only need two hundred and fifty.

 

“Tch.” Wang Qi turned towards the Argent Mountain’s peak. “It’s time to draw…”