12th International Conference on Cellular Automata for Research and Industry, ACRI 2016 Fez, Morocco, September 5-8, 2016 Proceedings

Abstract

Cellular automata, the offspring of a theme in computer science, are increasingly used as models in ecological investigation. The theme embraces a range of topics, from the theory of automata to artificial intelligence. Cellular automata, as expressions of this theme, are miniature worlds inhabited by automata, one per cell. The behavior of a cellular automaton is, or can be, extraordinarily complex, not to say lifelike. It has been the main inspiration for a new research area called artificial life or, more conservatively, complex systems. Conferences are attended by computer and mathematical scientists, along with an increasing crowd of newcomers from geography, ecology, geology, other fields, and a popular following. At the present time, ecology has a fair experience with cellular automaton models, enough to abandon the early toys and exploit the true powers of this tool as a general simulation bed. At the same time, validation and interpretation remain key problems in the use of these models.