Slime mould computes planar shapes
Abstract
Computing a polygon defining a set of planar points is a classical problem of modern computational geometry. In laboratory experiments, we demonstrate that a concave hull, a connected a-shape without holes, of a finite planar set is approximated by slime mould Physarum polycephalum. We represent planar points with sources of long-distance attractants and short-distance repellents and inoculate a piece of plasmodium outside the dataset. The plasmodium moves towards the data and envelops it by pronounced protoplasmic tubes.
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Protozoans like Physarum can escape mazes and solve problems, and Paramecium can swim, find food and mates, learn, remember and have sex, all without synaptic connections.
“Protozoans like Physarum can escape mazes and solve problems, and Paramecium can swim, find food and mates, learn, remember and have sex, all without synaptic connections [25,26].”
From Consciousness in the universe (2014) · cites this paper as [26]
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“In another approach, panpsychism attributes consciousness to all matter, but without scientific identity or causal influence.”
BackgroundHow quantum brain biology can rescue conscious free will
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- Authors
- Adamatzky, A.
- Affiliations
- University of the West of England (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Adamatzky, Andrew
- ORCID
- Adamatzky, Andrew
- Venue
- International Journal of Bio-Inspired Computation
- Publisher
- Inderscience Publishers
- Published
- 2012
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 149
- ISSN
- 1758-0366 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-0374
- OpenAlex
- W2130549785
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Bio-Inspired Computation (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design › Computational Geometry and Mesh Generation
- Keywords
- slime molds, Physarum polycephalum, concave hull, polygonal approximation, planar point sets, Plasmodium, bio-inspired computing, computational geometry
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