Abstract
We present a model inspired by task switching of ants in a colony. The model consists of a system composed of many identical ants. Each ant has a finite number of internal states. An ant's internal state changes either by interaction with the environment or by interaction with another ant. Analyzing the model's dynamics, we prove it to be computationally complete. This gives us a new perspective on the sophistication a colony can display in responding to the environment. A formalism for measurement and response in the framework of the model is presented. A few examples are studied. The model demonstrates the possibility of inducing very complex global behavior without any hierarchical structure.
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© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Lachmann, M., Sella, G. (1995). The computationally complete ant colony: Global coordination in a system with no hierarchy. In: Morán, F., Moreno, A., Merelo, J.J., Chacón, P. (eds) Advances in Artificial Life. ECAL 1995. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 929. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-59496-5_343
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-59496-5_343
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