Ternary Systems

I have always been fascinated with alternative computer representations of data such as numbers. When we standardize on a particular representation of any type of data, it may make us more efficient, but I also think that we lose something in process. This is why we have a decimal type in an addition to floating-point types, because the accuracy of type for representing base-ten number in many situations outweigh its slow performance. 

In the course of my development working with natural language, I found myself frequently encountering numerous situations requiring tristates. I have also read at some point the brain appears to operate using a ternary system in contrast to present day computers, which operate using a binary system. Ternary values consist of the values 1,0,-1 which correspond respectively to the quasi-boolean values—true, unknown, false. Unlike binary values, ternary values can cancel each other out or represent ambiguous values. However, ternary values can yet be represented as an even more general value in fuzzy logic with states corresponding to the inclusive range of real numbers between 0 and 1.

In .NET, I guess that some of the role of the third ternary values are handled by constructs such as Nullable<>, DBNullValue, and CheckState. None of these though support arithmetic and logical operations.

I found a wikipedia article that discusses a field of “ternary” logic. I uncovered a fascinating article about a ternary computer called “Setun” developed in the late 1950s. It mentions some advantages of ternary values including simplicity and symmetry.

Comments

[Blanche]

If somehow our past were able to use a ternary system to encode information, a system yet to come in our future, could the of the encoding of the Torah been done using this approach.
Since the Hebrew language has a word and number for each letter could the letter and its number somehow be that inclusive range of numbers between 1 and 0? And might they only surface or be found using the 1 0 and -1?
In Hebrew the words "abraq ad habra" mean "hurl your thunderbolts even unto death" which graphically represented elucidates a triangle with 11 letters/numbers/word to each side. Counting from the base to the point are 6 letters/numbers/words. In total the numbers equal 39. I have often wondered if this graphic representation somehow presents us with a different system of encoding information.
If the Torah, a living book, has multidimensional levels of information then it would require the inner dimensions of the triangle to conceal within concentricity a linear language whether it moves right to left, up or down or on the diagonal.
In reviewing the elucidation of our current atom, and in proposal of a new structural determination I have concluded that the tetrahedral design signifies this 1 0 -1 system and is that which structurally determines the nucleus or nuclear potential of every atom and is that which using 1 0 and -1 as a reverse bias would give us the ability to encode the shells and sub-shells of the atom, harness as apposed to unleashing the nuclear potential and assist us in deciphering the root code in the Torah so that we may release the constraints of linear time and realize that we are the encoders who having used secrecy sealed our own fate. Though our fate is no equation we certainly can take the bend out of our destiny.