ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY SEARCH SYSTEM

A knowledge storage and retrieval method is performed to result in a single address number of a storage region which represents a large quantity of information. A first character of a data sequence and a starting number are directed into a two-position buffer to form an input matrix. The storage locations of the storage region are addressed to see if the matrix is found in the storage region. If the matrix is found, the address number of the storage location of the storage region at which it is found is then stored in the second position of the buffer region. Then the next data character is directed into the first position of the buffer region and the searching step is repeated. If the matrix in the buffer region is not found in the storage region, the matrix is stored in a free storage location of the storage region and the address number of the free storage location is directed into the second position of the buffer. The next data character is moved into the first position and the searching step is repeated. Eventually, all of the data characters of a data sequence will be stored and the address number representing a storage location of the last-to-be stored data character will represent all of the data characters of the data sequence that were stored.