Parallel fuzzy inference with an optoelectronic H-tree architecture

Fuzzy inference is a method of reasoning with imprecise information. The mathematical operations of fuzzy inference can be stated in terms of generalized vector algebra, in which multiplication and summation are generalized to min and max operations. An optoelectronic H-tree architecture is ideally suited to perform these generalized vector operations in parallel and requires only a simple imaging optical interconnection. Appropriate data encodings and electronic circuitry permit large scale, pipelined systems.