1. An apparatus for receiving a plurality of inputs and subjecting said inputs to a Laplacian operator function, said apparatus comprising CCD shift register means for receiving said inputs and introducing positive and negative weights to respective ones of said inputs, and combining said inputs to produce said Laplacian operator function, said CCD shift register means comprising: a first CCD shift register for producing a weighted sum of a first plurality of said inputs; a second CCD shift register for introducing a negative weight to at least one of said inputs; CCD summation means for combining said weighted sum and said negatively-weighted at least one input; and sensing means for sensing the charge in said CCD summation means to obtain a signal corresponding to said Laplacian operator function.