computer science

Ternac

Ternac is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ternac rather than just read about it. In short: TERNAC is an emulation written in FORTRAN of a ternary computer on another binary machine, a Burroughs B1700. It was implemented in 1973 at State University of New York, Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo).

Key takeaways

Ternac belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ternac to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ternac from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TERNAC is an emulation written in FORTRAN of a ternary computer on another binary machine, a Burroughs B1700. It was implemented in 1973 at State University of New York, Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo). The implementation provided both fixed-point and floating-point capability; fixed-point words were 24 trits in length and the floating-point words had 42 trits for mantissa and 6 trits for exponent. TERNAC was intended primarily to discover if the implementation of a nonbinary structure on a binary computer was feasible, and to ascertain the cost in memory storage and time for such an implementation. As a feasibility test, it was successful, and proved that both speed and price are comparable with that of binary computers.

See also Setun (ternary computer constructed in USSR)

References ^ DSSP & Forth : Compare And Analysis G. Frieder, A. Fong, and C. Y. Chao. A Balanced Ternary Computer. Department of Computer Science, State University of New York at Buffalo, pages 68–88, 1972 Ternary computers: part I: motivation for ternary computers G. Frieder, 1972; Proceeding MICRO 5 Conference Ternary computers: part 2: emulation of a ternary computer G. Frieder, 1972; Proceeding MICRO 5 Conference

External links Development of ternary computers at Moscow State University Nikolai Brusentsov's Setun entry Pioneers of Soviet Computing

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ternac

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ternac claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ternac before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ternac ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ternac

In research: Ternac appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ternac in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ternac is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer hardware stubs, Mainframe computers, Ternary computers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ternac outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ternac in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ternac means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ternac out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ternac in simple terms?

TERNAC is an emulation written in FORTRAN of a ternary computer on another binary machine, a Burroughs B1700. It was implemented in 1973 at State University of New York, Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo).

Why does Ternac matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ternac?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ternac.