Method and optical apparatus for converting residue numbers into positionally notated numbers

摘要

A method and optical arithmetic apparatus for converting residue numbers into positionally notated numbers utilize linear periodic structures which can be shifted relative to one another, each linear periodic structure being allocated to a prime number module of those prime number modules which are utilized in the residue representation of a decimal number, with the duration of the period for a structure being proportional to the module allocated thereto. The structures may be structures for generating standing light waves. The shift of the phase positions of the light waves is undertaken by respective phase modulators with the waves being shifted out of an original phase position in accord with the allocated residue module or the sum of the modules. The decoded result is obtained by noting the values occurring at positions where the structures coincided before shifting by means of the phase modulators and which coincide after the shift.