TRIPLE MATRIX PRODUCT OPTICAL PROCESSORS USING COMBINED TIME-AND-SPACE INTEGRATION

A triple matrix product processor for optically multiplying three matrices U. G, and V, comprising a matrix-vector processor for sequentially multiplying each column of an M.times.N matrix G by at least a row of a P.times.M matrix U so that the 1.sup.th column of G is multiplied by the at least a row of matrix U producing at least the il.sup.th element of an intermediate result. The triple matrix product processor further includes an outer product processor for multiplying at least the il.sup.th element of the intermediate result with the 1.sup.th row of an N.times.Q matrix V producing at least a row of an N.times.N outer product matrix in a first plane, and a time-integrating optical detector array for summing the light impinging on the first plane from the outer product processor to produce all or a portion of a P.times. triple matrix product after all of the N columns of the matrix G and all of the N rows of the matrix V have been cycled through the processors.