<p>A recent and interesting attempt to model flocking behavior is <a href="http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/pubs.html">Bernard Chazelle's work</a> (see the four most recent papers (as of Mar 2012). He's also <a href="http://www.sns.ias.edu/pitp/">running a summer school</a> on computation and biology at the Institute for Advanced Science.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-21T04:17:10.720Z
2012-03-21T04:17:10.720Z
Suresh Venkat
<p>I suggest you this survey/introduction paper (but perhaps you alredy read it):</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cs.ubbcluj.ro/~studia-i/2009-1/08-Oltean.pdf" rel="nofollow">Unconventional computing: a short introduction</a> by M. Oltean (2009).</p>

<p>It is a little bit funny (see for example the <em>"Price"</em> column in the comparison table) ... however the references at the bottom can lead you to other relevant papers.</p>

<p>I'm not an expert but searching papers on other subjects I sometimes found titles about the <em>"DNA computing" model</em>, so - if you classify Quantum Computing conventional computing :-) - I think it is one of the most studied model, and there are many results out there (see for example "<a href="http://cs.roosevelt.edu/~wolpert/papers/DW-IJFCS.ps" rel="nofollow">A Robust DNA Computation Model that Captures PSPACE</a>").</p>

<p>I'm curious to see other answers about other weird models/results.</p>

<p><strong>EDIT:</strong> I was missing a "must": Scott Aaronson's "<a href="http://www.scottaaronson.com/papers/npcomplete.pdf" rel="nofollow">NP-Complete Problems and Physical Reality</a>" (2005). There is also a PowerPoint presentation ... but unfortunately no video (Scott's presentations are great, see for example a small easy introduction on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SczraSQE3MY" rel="nofollow">(un)conventional??? quantum computing</a> :-) </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-21T12:31:43.933Z
I think this is what you actually meant to link to: http://www.cs.ubbcluj.ro/~studia-i/2009-1/08-Oltean.pdf
Klaus Draeger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-21T08:25:18.880Z
2012-03-21T12:46:43.010Z
2012-03-21T12:46:43.010Z
Marzio De Biasi
<p>There are also continuous time and analog computation models: <a href="http://arxiv.org/pdf/0907.3117v1.pdf" rel="nofollow">Survey on Continuous Time Computation</a>, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885064X07000246" rel="nofollow">Polynomial differential equation model</a>.</p>

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2012-03-22T09:35:31.107Z
2012-03-22T09:35:31.107Z
Lamine
<p><a href="http://www.cse.yorku.ca/~ruppert/papers/pop-survey.pdf" rel="nofollow">Population protocols.</a></p>

<p>The model is intuitively explained as being inspired by how a flock of birds behaves and processes information.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-21T20:41:45.307Z
2012-03-21T20:41:45.307Z
Vijay D
<p>Are there any interesting proofs on unconventional computing? When reading on the topic I most often see soft analysis – like following paragraph from Wikipedia (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_computation">Natural computing</a>):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Swarm intelligence,[12] sometimes referred to as collective
  intelligence, is defined as the problem solving behavior that emerges
  from the interaction of individual agents (e.g., bacteria, ants,
  termites, bees, spiders, fish, birds) which communicate with other
  agents by acting on their local environments.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Instead of soft analysis – are there any formal (and important) results in the topic?</p>

<soft-question><natural-computing>
Proofs on unconventional computing
Mooncer
# Proofs on unconventional computing

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-03-21)

Are there any interesting proofs on unconventional computing? When reading on the topic I most often see soft analysis – like following paragraph from Wikipedia ([Natural computing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_computation)):

> Swarm intelligence,[12] sometimes referred to as collective
> intelligence, is defined as the problem solving behavior that emerges
> from the interaction of individual agents (e.g., bacteria, ants,
> termites, bees, spiders, fish, birds) which communicate with other
> agents by acting on their local environments.

Instead of soft analysis – are there any formal (and important) results in the topic?

**Tags:** soft-question, natural-computing


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-03-21. Score: 8

A recent and interesting attempt to model flocking behavior is [Bernard Chazelle's work](http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/pubs.html) (see the four most recent papers (as of Mar 2012). He's also [running a summer school](http://www.sns.ias.edu/pitp/) on computation and biology at the Institute for Advanced Science.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2012-03-21. Score: 5

I suggest you this survey/introduction paper (but perhaps you alredy read it):

[Unconventional computing: a short introduction](http://www.cs.ubbcluj.ro/~studia-i/2009-1/08-Oltean.pdf) by M. Oltean (2009).

It is a little bit funny (see for example the *"Price"* column in the comparison table) ... however the references at the bottom can lead you to other relevant papers.

I'm not an expert but searching papers on other subjects I sometimes found titles about the *"DNA computing" model*, so - if you classify Quantum Computing conventional computing :-) - I think it is one of the most studied model, and there are many results out there (see for example "[A Robust DNA Computation Model that Captures PSPACE](http://cs.roosevelt.edu/~wolpert/papers/DW-IJFCS.ps)").

I'm curious to see other answers about other weird models/results.

**EDIT:** I was missing a "must": Scott Aaronson's "[NP-Complete Problems and Physical Reality](http://www.scottaaronson.com/papers/npcomplete.pdf)" (2005). There is also a PowerPoint presentation ... but unfortunately no video (Scott's presentations are great, see for example a small easy introduction on [(un)conventional??? quantum computing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SczraSQE3MY) :-)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I think this is what you actually meant to link to: http://www.cs.ubbcluj.ro/~studia-i/2009-1/08-Oltean.pdf  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2012-03-22. Score: 3

There are also continuous time and analog computation models: [Survey on Continuous Time Computation](http://arxiv.org/pdf/0907.3117v1.pdf), [Polynomial differential equation model](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885064X07000246).


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### Answer by username_5 on 2012-03-21. Score: 2

[Population protocols.](http://www.cse.yorku.ca/~ruppert/papers/pop-survey.pdf)

The model is intuitively explained as being inspired by how a flock of birds behaves and processes information.


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