Asynchronous Parallel Self-Replication Based on Logic Molecular Model

This paper discusses asynchronous parallel universal computation and self-replication based on a computation model, called a logic molecular model, or a parallel production system (PPS). The program in this model consists of extended Horn clause rules, which are used for forward deduction of unit clauses, called molecules, from unit clauses in working memory. All possible deductions in the system are asynchronously executed in parallel. This formalism is also effective in representing a broad class of speed-independent asynchronous computation and systems including parallel parsing and cellular automata. It is shown that for any PPS program P , there is a set of molecules that contains the coded program of P , which replicates itself by asynchronous parallel computation in time proportional to logn, where n is the number of rules in P .