Nebula-The upcoming cryptocurrency that will incentivize reversible computation.

[jvanname]

So I have posted the whitepaper on my upcoming cryptocurrency Nebula. Nebula will be distinct from all other cryptocurrencies since the POW problem for Nebula will incentivize the future development of the reversible computer (which has not been invented yet). You can find the whitepaper on the POW problem for Nebula at https://boolesrings.org/jvanname/2017/07/22/nebula-the-cryptocurrency-that-will-produce-the-reversible-computer/ and you can find previous discussion on how cryptocurrency POW problems will incentivize reversible computation at https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1985289.msg20247850#msg20247850.

So Landauer's principle states that every time a bit of information is erased, ln(2)*k*T energy is used where T is the temperature and k is Boltzmann constant. Landauer's principle amounts to 2.8*10^(-21) J per bit erasure at room temperature. The efficiency of conventional computation is limited by Landauer's principle, but there is no such limit of the efficiency of reversible computation. Reversible computation however has the downside that it usually takes more steps to perform a certain calculation reversibly than it takes to perform the same calculation irreversibly. Therefore, since reversible computation requires some computational overhead, computing machinery manufacturers currently do not have an incentive to research and develop new reversible devices since any gains in efficiency will be dwarfed by the increase in the number of steps required to perform such a calculation.

Nebula will be the first cryptocurrency to incorporate a kind of POW problem which I call an RCO-POW (reversible computation optimized) problem. An RCO-POW problem is a POW problem which can be solved using a reversible computing device just as easily as it can be solved using a conventional computation device. Since RCO-POW problems can be solved using reversible computers in just as many steps as they can be solved using conventional computers, it is advantageous for one to develop energy efficient reversible computing devices to solve these RCO-POW problems. After computational device manufacturers produce devices to solve RCO-POW problems, they will have the knowledge and infrastructure to produce reversible computers for many other purposes and possibly even quantum computers.

The RCO-POW for Nebula, which we shall call R5, consists of five different algorithms. Since R5 relies on several different algorithms, it will be difficult for a single entity to launch a 51% attack against Nebula. Furthermore, since R5 has multiple algorithms to choose from, a reversible device manufacturer can choose the problem which the device will be made to solve. RCO-POW problems are not ASIC resistant since reversible computing devices can be thought of as certain kinds of ASICs and because the same qualities that make an algorithm easy to compute with a reversible device also make it easy to compute using an ASIC. Therefore R5 will be minable by CPUs/GPUs at first but R5 mining will soon be dominated by ASICs.

The problem of wasted energy and wasted resources in POW mining is one of the biggest problems with cryptocurrencies today. I hope that the cryptocurrency community will consider Nebula to be a satisfactory solution to this problem. I hope that either the cryptocurrency community would flock to Nebula or incorporate an RCO-POW into some other cryptocurrency with a high market cap.

-Joseph Van Name Ph.D.
https://boolesrings.org/jvanname

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[bathrobehero]

Good luck! I'm definitely interested in this project.

[Fatoshi]

i'm interested. Though to some extent hasn't POS already solved the energy wastage of POW?

[jvanname]

Fatoshi and  bathrobehero. Thanks. I appreciate your interest.

I do not know enough about POS to judge its security, merits, or whether it can completely replace POW as a method of securing the cryptocurrency. However, POW better solves the problem of fairly initially distributing newly minted coins. I do not see POW going away any time soon even for established currencies since cryptocurrencies may want to mint new coins in order to replace lost or destroyed coins and because some altcoins may want steady inflation. A useful POW like an RCO-POW will also give the cryptocurrency a perception of greater value to the cryptocurrency since people will see that the work used to produce the newly minted coins were used for some good purpose.  This positive perception of value is harder to achieve using a POS system. I am simply looking to implement another solution to the wasted energy problem for cryptocurrency POW problems.

[bykardinal]

R5 - i like that name. i'll give my hash power for it.
Waiting for more info about the project

[Maurizio]

Hello crypto enthusiasts.

I will take a look in to the whitepaper and if I like, I sure will follow the project closley. Good luck and keep up working on your nebula project.

[Elkmar]

This looks quite interesting even if I dont think that this sole project will incentize industries to make such computers.

[Kanoe_Yuuko]

I like the idea of decentraland, it breaks the limits of centralization.
I want to support this project by promoting on social media pages so when will be the lauch of bounty campaigns? I'll keep an eye on this program because I know this would be successful.

[abjingyun]

This looks quite interesting even if I dont think that this sole project will incentize industries to make such computers.

[Sky8ig]

Although I'm not sure about the concept of this project, but it will be an interesting project, hopefully it can run well and good luck for you

[albus9981]

This sounds like a promising project with an important concept. I'll be keeping my eye on it over the next few days!

[uwatere]

any bounty dev?

[kuky004]

The five kinds of algorithms, I like, continue to pay attention   

[Cloudpost]

Fatoshi and  bathrobehero. Thanks. I appreciate your interest.

I do not know enough about POS to judge its security, merits, or whether it can completely replace POW as a method of securing the cryptocurrency. However, POW better solves the problem of fairly initially distributing newly minted coins. I do not see POW going away any time soon even for established currencies since cryptocurrencies may want to mint new coins in order to replace lost or destroyed coins and because some altcoins may want steady inflation. A useful POW like an RCO-POW will also give the cryptocurrency a perception of greater value to the cryptocurrency since people will see that the work used to produce the newly minted coins were used for some good purpose.  This positive perception of value is harder to achieve using a POS system. I am simply looking to implement another solution to the wasted energy problem for cryptocurrency POW problems.

Very interesting topic. As most people on this forum I also did not know anything about reverse computaion, I'm going to learn about it. BTC mining consumes a lot of electricity and produces a lot of heat, there are just a few coins that are doing something usefull for the science - folding coin and gridcoin research (maybe more?). I'd like to see more projects that will be usefull for science.

[Shiekin]

interesting project , maybe there is a roadmap and whitepaper to make this project more more interesting

[SunStruck]

+watchlist , looks promising.

[Serco]

Nebula? Sounds like the name of a planet in a science fiction movie.interesting and waiting for more info about this

[Futurizt]

it is interesting even just for the sake of environmental argument (and believe me when I enter my mining facilities I do understand the irony in your conclusion section -- unfortunately). Of course I see a big disadvantage in RCO-POW being non ASIC resistant. But wouldn't that RCO-ASIC be in fact a Reverse Computer device by itself? Also how the RCO-POW will perform on non optimized CPU/GPU hardware in terms of hit/energy? Sorry if my questions are obvious I am not a scientist may be missed it in your paper.

[alexwolf011]

I got you man. Hope this great project.

[abdulmad]

Very interesting white paper, R5 for 5 algos, I like this already, definitely keeping my eye on this. Good luck and everything of the best.