GAUGE-THEORY OF THINGS ALIVE - UNIVERSAL DYNAMICS AS A TOOL IN PARALLEL COMPUTING

It is pointed out that the reproduction fork dynamics, which nature us es to copy DNA, generalizes to a universal copy constructor for system s of arbitrary structure and topology. It is an example of a ''univers al dynamics'' which defines a time development for arbitrary systems w ithout additional structural assumption (beyond certain axiomatic prop erties of systems). Allowing for updated copies of the agents and rela tions of the system, the reproduction fork dynamics can be used in ite rative updating algorithms. They can be applied to very general optimi zation problems. The procedure is strictly local, therefore suitable f or MIMD parallel computers; it avoids the need for global synchronizat ion. Generalization to a multiscale method is briefly discussed. It is designed to eliminate critical slowing down in badly conditioned prob lems.