Arithmetic Operations on Self-Replicating Cellular Automata

In this paper, we present a possible implementation of arithmetic functions (notably, addition and multiplication) using self-replicating cellular automata. The operations are performed by storing a dedicated program (sequence of states) on self-replicating loops, and letting the loops retrieve the operands, exchange data among themselves, and perform the calculations according to a set of rules. To determine the rules required for addition and multiplication, we exploited an existing algorithm for computation in the cellular automata environment and adapted it to exploit the features of self-replicating loops. This approach allowed us to study a variety of issues (synchronization, data exchange, etc.) related to the use of self-replicating machines for complex operations.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1999
• Where: ECAL
• Authors: Enrico Petraglio, Jean-Marc Henry, Gianluca Tempesti
• Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Cellular Automata Environment, ECAL 1999, Self-replicating Cellular Automata, Self-replicating Loops