Morphology of patterns of lattice swarms: Interval parameterization

This model deals with collectives of mobile agents (finite automata) that m ove on a two-dimensional lattice in discrete time. In every trial, all auto mata start their evolution at the same lattice node. Every automaton moves from its current node to one of the randomly chosen neighbours if there is another automaton at the same node or if the number of other automata in th e neighbourhood belongs to some specified interval of integers. This interv al is referred to an interval of activation. All agents find their appropri ate positions and stop. The stationary global pattern of resting agents is eventually formed. Such patterns form a key subject of the paper. To group all intervals of activation onto different classes based on the morphologic al characteristics of the classes is a main task of the first part of the p aper. The rest of the paper is devoted to investigation concerning the comp lete consistent parameterisation of the pattern formation rules of lattice swarm. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.