Content area
Full text
Nat Comput (2011) 10:11951214
DOI 10.1007/s11047-011-9255-z
Andrew Adamatzky Genaro J. Martnez Sergio V. Chapa-Vergara
Ren Asomoza-Palacio Christopher R. Stephens
Published online: 28 June 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011
Abstract Plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum is a single cell visible by unaided eye. During its foraging behavior the cell spans spatially distributed sources of nutrients with a protoplasmic network. The geometrical structure of the protoplasmic networks allows the plasmodium to optimize transport of nutrients between remote parts of its body. Assuming major Mexican cities are sources of nutrients that need to be distributed across Mexico, how much does the structure of the Physarum protoplasmic network correspond to the structure of Mexican Federal highway network? To address the issue we undertook a series of laboratory experiments with living P. polycephalum. We represent geographical locations of major cities (19 locations) by oat akes, place a piece of plasmodium in the area corresponding to Mexico city, record the plasmodiums foraging behavior and extract topology of the resulting nutrient transport networks. Results of our experiments show that the protoplasmic network formed by Physarum is isomorphic, subject to limitations imposed, to a network of principal highways. Ideas and results in the paper may contribute towards future developments in bio-inspired road planning.
Keywords Bio-inspired computing Physarum polycephalum Pattern formation
Mexican highways Road planning
A. Adamatzky (&) G. J. Martnez
Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK e-mail: [email protected]
G. J. Martnez C. R. Stephens
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares and Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, Mexico, Mexico
S. V. Chapa-Vergara R. Asomoza-Palacio
Ingeniera Elctrica, Departamento de Computacin, Centro de Investigacin y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politcnico Nacional, Mexico, Mexico
Approximating Mexican highways with slime mould
123
1196 A. Adamatzky et al.
1 Introduction
Plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum1 is a single cell with many diploid nuclei. The plasmodium feeds on microbial creatures and microscopic food particles. When colonizing its habitat the plasmodium develops an optimal network of protoplasmic tubes or veins. The protoplasmic network is approximately optimal in the sense that it maximizes number of food sources occupied, minimizes time for nutrient transport between distant parts of the plasmodiums body, and maximizes area of substrate covered by sensorial activity.
A plasmodium...