Frequently Asked Questions

A number system using three digits: −1, 0, and +1. Unlike binary (0/1), balanced ternary has a natural zero and symmetric positive/negative values. Each digit is called a "trit" (ternary digit). It was identified by Donald Knuth as the most elegant number system and was used in the Soviet Setun computer (1958).

Information theory shows the optimal radix for computation is e ≈ 2.718 — base 3 is the closest integer. Each trit carries ~1.585 bits of information. Balanced ternary eliminates two's complement (negation is just sign-flipping), makes rounding natural, and reduces the number of digit positions needed, potentially lowering power consumption.

Quantum computing uses qubits that exist in superposition. This project uses classical ternary logic — three definite voltage states, not quantum states. Carbon nanotube FETs operate at room temperature with deterministic behavior. The two technologies are complementary, not competing.

Yes — the Setun computer (1958, Moscow State University) was a working balanced ternary machine. It used transformer cores, not transistors. The THATTE project is the first to design a complete ternary stack using carbon nanotube field-effect transistors, which are naturally suited to three-state operation.

A field-effect transistor where the channel is made from carbon nanotubes instead of silicon. CNFETs offer ballistic electron transport, tunable threshold voltages, and ambipolar behavior — properties that make them naturally suited to three-state logic.

9 patents covering the complete stack: transistor device structure (P1), switching method (P2), fabrication process (P3), compiler and instruction set (P4), operating system (P5), gate library (P6), processor (P7), filesystem (P8), and data structure (P9). See the Patents page for full details.

The gate library has been verified in SPICE simulation using the RAVAN compact model (Landauer ballistic transport). The compiler and OS have been implemented and compiled to .t3b binaries. Physical device fabrication is a future milestone that depends on nanofabrication facility access.

SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) is the industry-standard tool for simulating electronic circuits. The ternary gate library was simulated using ngspice with the RAVAN compact model, confirming correct operation of all gate types (TINV, TMIN2, TMAX3, TMAJ3) with 27/27 truth table entries verified. Read more on the Blog.

9 provisional patent applications were filed at the Indian Patent Office in March 2026. Complete specifications must be filed by March 2027.

Yes. Research, development, and commercial licenses are available. Contact manish@maniTLab.org for enquiries. See the Licensing page for details.

Balanced ternary mathematics and the general concept of ternary computing are public knowledge. The patents cover specific inventions: the THATTE device structure, specific circuit designs, the fabrication method, the ISA, the processor architecture, the OS design, the filesystem, and the data structure.

Manish Jagdish Thatte, an independent inventor and researcher based in Nashik, Maharashtra, India. The core concept dates to 2006, documented in a notarized affidavit.

Contact manish@maniTLab.org. The project welcomes academic collaborators, potential licensees, and investors interested in ternary computing.

This is under consideration for after international patent filings are secured. The goal is to enable broad adoption while protecting the inventor's rights.

The Technology page has a technical overview. The Blog has detailed writeups on SPICE verification, the OS design, and the case for balanced ternary. The Patents page lists all 9 patents with descriptions.