Chemical reaction-diffusion implementation of finding the shortest paths in a labyrinth.
PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2001;
63:026607. [PMID:
11308601 DOI:
10.1103/physreve.63.026607]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2000] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
An experimental technique for finding the shortest paths in a labyrinth is elaborated on based on chemical reaction-diffusion media. The system designed has hybrid architecture that combines an information-processing reaction-diffusion medium performing operations of high computational complexity with a digital computer carrying out supplementary operations. Two principal points are assumed as a basis for this design. They are the following: a light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky-type reagent chosen as a reaction-diffusion medium that offers the opportunity to simulate a labyrinth and spread wave evolution by its images stored in the medium; fast light-induced phase wave processes that spread through the labyrinth in seconds instead of the dozens of minutes typical of trigger waves inherent in reaction-diffusion media. Images of consecutive wave-spreading steps are stored in the memory of a digital computer. These images are used to determine the shortest paths based on the additional procedure of testing for the connectedness of labyrinth fragments.
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