Cellular Automaton Modeling

This text explores the use of cellular automata in modeling pattern formation in biological systems. It describes several mathematical modeling approaches utilizing cellular automata that can be used to study the dynamics of interacting cell systems both in simulation and in practice.

Cellular Automata Transforms describes a new approach to using the dynamical system, popularly known as cellular automata (CA), as a tool for conducting transforms on data. Cellular automata have generated a great deal of interest since the early 1960s when John Conway created the `Game of Life'. This book takes a more serious look at CA by describing methods by which information building blocks, called basis functions (or bases), can be generated from the evolving states. These information blocks can then be used to construct any data. A typical dynamical system such as CA tend to involve an infinite possibilities of rules that define the inherent elements, neighborhood size, shape, number of states, and modes of association, etc. To be able to build these building blocks an elegant method had to be developed to address a large subset of these rules. A new formula, which allows for the definition a large subset of possible rules, is described in the book. The robustness of this formula allows searching of the CA rule space in order to develop applications for multimedia compression, data encryption and process modeling.

In the late 1960s British mathematician John Conway invented a virtual mathematical machine that operates on a two-dimensional array of square cell. Each cell takes two states, live and dead. The cells’ states are updated simultaneously and in discrete time. A dead cell comes to life if it has exactly three live neighbours.

This book addresses the intellectual foundations, function, modeling approaches and complexity of cellular automata; explores cellular automata in combination with genetic algorithms, neural networks and agents; and discusses the applications of cellular automata in economics, traffic and the spread of disease. Pursuing a blended approach between knowledge and philosophy, it assigns equal value to methods and applications.

This book addresses the intellectual foundations, function, modeling approaches and complexity of cellular automata; explores cellular automata in combination with genetic algorithms, neural networks and agents; and discusses the applications of cellular automata in economics, traffic and the spread of disease. Pursuing a blended approach between knowledge and philosophy, it assigns equal value to methods and applications.