Natural computing was recently defined as a novel paradigm for computation where nature is taken as an example to define computational architectures and algorithms capable to solve problems efficiently and while being based on a low complexity description of its structure. A living being can be considered as performing various natural computation tasks. While exhibiting complexity in performing various functional tasks (pattern recognition, decision, orientation, optimization, planning, creative thinking, self-repair and self-reproduction, to name just a few) it is assumed that the entire development of the being is encoded within its genome. Due to recent progress in mapping the entire human genome, it is widely accepted that such a genome contains no more than several megabytes of information stored in the strings of DNA, being even simpler for more primitive species. Thus, in a simplified approach, the entire behavioral complexity of a living being can be regarded as being encoded in a relatively compact information storage structure, the DNA. This is what we will call structural information, i.e. the minimal information required to construct a computational architecture.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
(2008). Natural Computing Paradigms and Emergent Computation. In: Systematic Design for Emergence in Cellular Nonlinear Networks. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 95. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76801-2_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76801-2_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76800-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-76801-2
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)