On using compressibility to detect when slime mould completed computation

Adamatzky, Andrew; Jones, Jeff

Abstract

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Slime mould Physarum polycephalum is a single cell visible by an unaided eye. The slime mould optimizes its network of protoplasmic tubes in gradients of attractants and repellents. This behavior is interpreted as computation. Several prototypes of the slime mould computers were designed to solve problems of computation geometry, graphs, transport networks, and to implement universal computing circuits. Being a living substrate, the slime mould does not halt its behavior when a task is solved but often continues foraging the space thus masking the solution found. We propose to use temporal changes in compressibility of the slime mould patterns as indicators of the halting of the computation. Compressibility of a pattern characterizes the pattern's morphological diversity, that is, a number of different local configurations. At the beginning of computation the slime explores the space, thus generating less compressible patterns. After gradients of attractants and repellents are detected the slime spans data sites with its protoplasmic network and retracts scouting branches, thus generating more compressible patterns. We analyze the feasibility of the approach on results of laboratory experiments and computer modelling.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 13, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jan 8, 2015
• Publication Date: May 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Aug 25, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 14, 2016
• Journal: Complexity
• Print ISSN: 1076-2787
• Electronic ISSN: 1099-0526
• Publisher: Hindawi
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 162-175
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cplx.21645
• Keywords: compressibility, slime mould, computation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/915357
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplx.21645
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Adamatzky, A. and Jones, J. (2016) On using compressibility to detect when slime mould completed computation. Complexity, 21 (5). pp. 162-175, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplx.21645. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
• Contract Date: Jun 14, 2016