Emergent organisation in colonies of simple automata.

Abstract

We have simulated a colony of approx 3000 simple automata, with interaction behaviours that attempt to emulate those observed in stromatolite building microbes. The colony is able to maintain a diverse genome that can metabolise large quantities of up to 100 different food types simultaneously. Group organisations that process short lived food types more rapidly than others readily emerge under the correct conditions. We have applied the lessons to the control and management of a distributed communications system