Computing by swarm networks

Abstract

Though the regular and fixed structure of cellular automata greatly contributes to their simplicity, it imposes a strict limitation on the applications that can be modeled by them. This paper proposes swarm networks, a model in which cells, unlike in cellular automata, have irregular neighborhoods. Timed asynchronously, a cell in this model acts like an agent that can dynamically interact with a varying set of other cells under the control of transition rules. The configurations in which cells are organized according to their neighborhoods can move around in space, following simple mechanical laws. We prove computational universality of this model by simulating a circuit consisting of asynchronously timed circuit modules. The proposed model may find applications in nanorobotic systems and artifical biological systems. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.