Can a Three-State Logic System Revolutionize Computing?

[ocalhoun]

Normal boolean logic works with two states; true and false, which works fine with today's computer systems, which work with 1's and 0's.

However, I'm working on a new type of computer (Just need to figure out one last part about the 'and' gate), which will have three states (--,|,+).
I'm thinking this would be horizontal, vertical, and both.

What I'm wondering, is how this effects the logic of it. (true, false, or both?)
What would this system of logic look like, and what different or new types of logic gates would be required?

It wouldn't be too difficult, except for the fact that I can't seem to make sense of something being both true and false.

As an example, here's an IO chart for a 'not' gate:
In Out
--..|
|...--
+...+
And an 'or' gate:
InA InB Out
.--..--...--
.--...|...|
.--...+...|
..|...|...|
..|...+...|
..+...+...|

I'm thinking that I'll have to use more than the normal three basic gates (which all the others are made of), but what will the others be like?


If this should be in the computers section instead, forgive me, but I don't think so, as this project hasn't produced anything I'd call a 'computer' yet.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Try Google with "tri-valued logic" or "triple-valued logic". You should get a lot of hits.