MIX

E173596

MIX is Donald Knuth’s hypothetical computer architecture used in *The Art of Computer Programming* to illustrate and analyze algorithms in a machine-level context.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
MIX canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional computer
hypothetical computer architecture
addressSize 2 bytes
byteSize 6 bits
creator Donald E. Knuth
surface form: Donald Knuth
documentedIn The Art of Computer Programming
surface form: The Art of Computer Programming Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms

The Art of Computer Programming
surface form: The Art of Computer Programming Volume 2: Seminumerical Algorithms

The Art of Computer Programming
surface form: The Art of Computer Programming Volume 3: Sorting and Searching
executionModel synchronous, word-addressed machine
hasAssembler MIXAL
hasComponent accumulator
comparison indicator
extension register
index registers
jump register
overflow toggle
hasFeature decimal and binary arithmetic modes
field specification for partial-word operations
self-modifying code capability
hasSuccessor MMIX
inspiredBy IBM 650
IBM 704
instructionFormat 1-byte opcode plus address and index fields
introducedIn The Art of Computer Programming
surface form: The Art of Computer Programming Volume 1
maxAddressableMemory 4000 words
numberOfIndexRegisters 6
primaryPurpose analyzing algorithm efficiency
illustrating algorithms at machine level
programmingLanguage MIXAL
replacedByInLaterEditionsOfTAOCP MMIX
status not physically implemented as real hardware
successorDesignedBy Donald E. Knuth
surface form: Donald Knuth
supportsInstructionType arithmetic instructions
input/output instructions
jump instructions
load and store instructions
logical instructions
supportsIOMedia card reader
disk units
line printer
tape units
timePeriodModeled 1950s computers
usedFor formal analysis of algorithms
pedagogical examples in computer science
usedInWork The Art of Computer Programming
wordSize 30 bits
wordStructure 1 sign and 5 bytes

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.