Two centuries of memristors

Abstract

Nanoscale implementations of memory-resistors are currently showcased as prospective solutions to emerging memory and unconventional computing. Whilst the theoretical background was established exactly 40 years ago, most researchers became aware of the memristor after HP’s work on TiO2 thin films. Nonetheless, memristive attributes are not something new. In this chapter we present historical evidence on the electric arc, which we believe is the first everreported memristor. The first experiments on the electric arc are ascribed to Sir Humphry Davy, just one year after Volta’s discovery of the battery, classifying the memristor as a two hundred year old device.