We propose an optical computational device which uses light rays for solving the subset-sum problem. The device has a graph-like representation and the light is traversing it by following the routes given by the connections between nodes. The nodes are connected by arcs in a special way which lets us to generate all possible subsets of the given set. To each arc we assign either a number from the given set or a predefined constant. When the light is passing through an arc it is delayed by the amount of time indicated by the number placed in that arc. At the destination node we will check if there is a ray whose total delay is equal to the target value of the subset sum problem (plus some constants). The proposed optical solution solves a NP-complete problem in time proportional with the target sum, but requires an exponential amount of energy.
Optical-computing technology offers new challenges to algorithm designers since it can perform an n-point discrete Fourier transform (DFT) computation in only unit time. Note that the DFT is a nontrivial computation in the parallel random-access machine model, a model of computing commonly used by parallel-algorithm designers. We develop two new models, the DFT–VLSIO (very-large-scale integrated optics) and the DFT–circuit, to capture this characteristic of optical computing. We also provide two paradigms for developing parallel algorithms in these models. Efficient parallel algorithms for many problems, including polynomial and matrix computations, sorting, and string matching, are presented. The sorting and string-matching algorithms are particularly noteworthy. Almost all these algorithms are within a polylog factor of the optical-computing (VLSIO) lower bounds derived by Barakat Reif [Appl. Opt.26, 1015 (1987) and by Tyagi Reif [Proceedings of the Second IEEE Symposium on Parallel and Distributed Processing (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, 1990) p. 14]. We introduce an optical method based on white light interferometry in order to solve the well-known NP–complete traveling salesman problem. To our knowledge it is the first time that a method for the reduction of non–polynomial time to quadratic time has been proposed. We will show that this achievement is limited by the number of available photons for solving the problem. It will turn out that this number of photons is proportional to NN for a traveling salesman problem with N cities and that for large numbers of cities the method in practice therefore is limited by the signal–to–noise ratio. The proposed method is meant purely as a gedankenexperiment. An all nonionic liquid shampoo which includes an amine oxide, a polyoxyethylene hexitan mono-higher fatty acid ester, and at least one of a higher alkoxy polyoxyethylene ethanol, an alkyl glycoside and a mixture of glycoside, a higher fatty acid lower alkanolamide and polyacrylamide. Optionally, the mixture of higher fatty acid lower alkanolamide and polyacrylamide may be present in the liquid shampoo containing amine oxide, polyoxyethylene hexitan mono-higher fatty acid ester and the higher alkoxy polyoxyethylene ethanol and or alkyl glycoside. Another optional constituent is a polyethylene glycol higher fatty acid ester. The shampoos are essentially free of ions and are desirably completely free of ionic materials with the pH essentially neutral.