Modeling Developmental Processes in MGS

Biology has long inspired unconventional models of computation to computer scientists. This chapter focuses on a model inspired by biological development both at the molecular and cellular levels. Such biological processes are particularly interesting for computer science because the dynamic organization emerges from many decentralized and local interactions that occur concurrently at several time and space scales. Thus, they provide a source of inspiration to solve various problems related to mobility, distributed systems, open systems, etc. The fundamental mechanisms of biological development are now understood as changes within a complex dynamical system. This chapter advocates that these fundamental mechanisms, although mainly developed in a continuous framework, can be rephrased in a discrete setting relying on the notion of rewriting in a topological setting. The discrete formulation is as formal as the continuous one, enables the simulation, and opens a way to the IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING This chapter appears in the book, Molecular Computational Models: Unconventional Approaches edited by Marian Gheorhe. © 2005, Idea Group Inc. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033-1240, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com ITB10958