From Pattern Formation to Material Computation: Multi-agent Modelling of Physarum Polycephalum (Emergence, Complexity and Computation)
暫譯: 從模式形成到材料計算：多代理模型的變形蟲 (出現、複雜性與計算)
Jeff Jones
商品描述
This book addresses topics of mobile multi-agent systems, pattern formation, biological modelling, artificial life, unconventional computation, and robotics. The behaviour of a simple organism which is capable of remarkable biological and computational feats that seem to transcend its simple component parts is examined and modelled. In this book the following question is asked: How can something as simple as Physarum polycephalum - a giant amoeboid single-celled organism which does not possess any neural tissue, fixed skeleton or organised musculature - can approximate complex computational behaviour during its foraging, growth and adaptation of its amorphous body plan, and with such limited resources? To answer this question the same apparent limitations as faced by the organism are applied: using only simple components with local interactions. A synthesis approach is adopted and a mobile multi-agent system with very simple individual behaviours is employed. It is shown their interactions yield emergent behaviour showing complex self-organised pattern formation with material-like evolution. The presented model reproduces the biological behaviour of Physarum; the formation, growth and minimisation of transport networks.
In its conclusion the book moves beyond Physarum and provides results of scoping experiments approximating other complex systems using the multi-agent approach. The results of this book demonstrate the power and range of harnessing emergent phenomena arising in simple multi-agent systems for biological modelling, computation and soft-robotics applications. It methodically describes the necessary components and their interactions, showing how deceptively simple components can create powerful mechanisms, aided by abundant illustrations, supplementary recordings and interactive models. It will be of interest to those in biological sciences, physics, computer science and robotics who wish to understand how simple components can result in complex and useful behaviours and who wish explore the potential of guided pattern formation themselves.
商品描述(中文翻譯)
這本書探討了移動多智能體系統、模式形成、生物建模、人工生命、非常規計算和機器人技術等主題。書中檢視並建模了一種簡單生物的行為，這種生物能夠展現出驚人的生物學和計算能力，似乎超越了其簡單的組成部分。本書提出了以下問題：像Physarum polycephalum這樣的簡單生物——一種不具備任何神經組織、固定骨架或有組織肌肉的巨大變形蟲單細胞生物——如何能在其覓食、成長和適應其無定形體型的過程中，利用如此有限的資源，近似複雜的計算行為？為了回答這個問題，書中應用了與生物面臨的相同表面限制：僅使用具有局部互動的簡單組件。採用了一種綜合方法，並使用了具有非常簡單個體行為的移動多智能體系統。研究顯示，它們的互動產生了顯現行為，顯示出複雜的自組織模式形成及物質般的演化。所提出的模型重現了Physarum的生物行為，包括運輸網絡的形成、成長和最小化。
在結論中，這本書超越了Physarum，提供了使用多智能體方法近似其他複雜系統的範疇實驗結果。本書的結果展示了利用簡單多智能體系統中出現的顯現現象進行生物建模、計算和軟體機器人應用的力量和範圍。它系統地描述了必要的組件及其互動，顯示出看似簡單的組件如何能創造出強大的機制，並輔以豐富的插圖、補充錄音和互動模型。對於那些希望了解簡單組件如何導致複雜且有用行為的生物科學、物理學、計算機科學和機器人技術領域的研究者，以及希望自己探索引導模式形成潛力的人士，這本書將會引起他們的興趣。
