A biologically inspired network design model

Zhang, Xiaoge; Adamatzky, Andrew; Chan, Felix T.S.; Deng, Yong; Yang, Hai; Yang, Xin She; Tsompanas, Michail Antisthenis I.; Sirakoulis, Georgios Ch; Mahadevan, Sankaran

Abstract

A network design problem is to select a subset of links in a transport network that satisfy passengers or cargo transportation demands while minimizing the overall costs of the transportation. We propose a mathematical model of the foraging behaviour of slime mould P. polycephalum to solve the network design problem and construct optimal transport networks. In our algorithm, a traffic flow between any two cities is estimated using a gravity model. The flow is imitated by the model of the slime mould. The algorithm model converges to a steady state, which represents a solution of the problem. We validate our approach on examples of major transport networks in Mexico and China. By comparing networks developed in our approach with the man-made highways, networks developed by the slime mould, and a cellular automata model inspired by slime mould, we demonstrate the flexibility and efficiency of our approach.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 28, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Jun 4, 2015
• Publication Date: Jun 4, 2015
• Deposit Date: Aug 25, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: May 22, 2016
• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-2322
• Publisher: Nature Research (part of Springer Nature)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Article Number: 10794
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10794
• Keywords: networks, optimization, slime mould, bio-inspired
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/845457
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep10794
• Contract Date: May 22, 2016