Information processing apparatus, ising device, and method for controlling information processing apparatus

An Ising device comprising:

• a neuron circuit block that calculates as many first energy values as a number of neurons, based on weight values representing strengths of neuron-to-neuron connections and output values of the neurons, and determines and outputs new output values, based on comparison results between a threshold and each of the first energy values plus a noise value assigned to the Ising device, the noise value being variable within a first noise width that represents a difference between a lower limit and an upper limit of the noise value;
• a calculation circuit that calculates a second energy value representing a total energy of the Ising device, based on the first energy values and the output values;
• and
• an exchange control circuit that receives a third energy value representing a total energy of another Ising device having a second noise width adjacent to the first noise width and exchanges output values or noise widths between the Ising device and the another Ising device, with an exchange probability based on a difference between the second energy value and the third energy value, the second noise width representing a difference between a lower limit and an upper limit of a noise value used in the another Ising device.

A method for controlling an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

• setting, by a controller device in the information processing apparatus, different noise widths respectively to a plurality of Ising devices in the information processing apparatus, the noise widths each representing a difference between a lower limit and an upper limit of noise values, the plurality of Ising devices each including a neuron circuit block that calculates as many first energy values as a number of neurons, based on weight values representing strengths of neuron-to-neuron connections and output values of the neurons, and determines and outputs new output values, based on comparison results between a threshold and each of the first energy values plus a noise value, the plurality of Ising devices having equal conditions about neuron-to-neuron connections represented by the weight values;
• calculating, by a calculation circuit in the information processing apparatus, second energy values respectively representing total energies of the plurality of Ising devices, based on the first energy values and the output values;
• and
• exchanging, by an exchange control circuit in the information processing apparatus, output values or noise widths between a first Ising device and a second Ising device among the plurality of Ising devices, with an exchange probability based on a difference in the second energy values between the first Ising device and the second Ising device, the first and second Ising devices respectively having first and second noise widths, the second noise width being adjacent to the first noise width.