2003-03-24

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On the Backs of Ants

When an agent happened on a node, it began to produce one of two simulated chemical trails at a rate that decreased in time. The strength of the chemical trail also faded as time went by. The key to the self-assembling network is that the agents are drawn to the chemical trails laid down by other agents. The researchers’ model contains two types of network nodes—blue and red. Each agent starts out as a green agent, which lays down no chemical trails and travels randomly. When an agent happens on a blue node, it turns blue, and when an agent happens across a red node, it turns red. Red and blue agents lay down chemical trails that attract agents of the opposite color. Over time the model changes from many green agents traveling randomly to colored agents moving among nodes like traffic in a network. “You see a network that connects almost all neighboring nodes,” said Schweitzer. The chemical method simultaneously solves the two basic problems of network self-assembly—detecting nodes and establishing links between nodes, Schweitzer said. This type of network quickly addresses failures and disturbances, said Schweitzer. “If the position of the nodes is changed, the network adjusts accordingly. If a link is broken, it will be restored very fast.”

This'll make a nice P5 learning project...