Computation by Bacteria

Abstract

This work started with our original work of the invention of Micro-Habitat Patches (MHP) which allowed us to create on a silicon wafer a complex world of interacting communities with differing conditions. One can view this collection of microhabitats as a giant optimization problem where local and global fitness compete with one another. Living organisms, at least at the lower levels such as bacteria, are not viewed as "computers" or as capable of solving problems based on algorithms. Yet, they do form a collective problem solving entity as viewed from an evolutionary perspective. The problems solved by bacteria differ qualitatively from the problems normally solved by computers, and in some respects are actually much harder.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 03, 2011
Accession Number
ADA535062

Entities

People

  • Robert H. Austin

Organizations

  • Princeton University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Bacteria
  • Battery Chargers
  • Cancer
  • Competition
  • Computations
  • Computers
  • Correlation Analysis
  • Cross Correlation
  • Culture Techniques
  • Department Of Defense
  • Environment
  • Microorganisms
  • Neoplasms
  • Prokaryotes
  • Simulations
  • Spatial Distribution

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