OCA:von Neumann cellular automaton
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The von Neumann cellular automaton is a 29-state cellular automaton devised by John von Neumann in 1940. Their original purpose was to provide insight into the logical requirements for machine self-replication, and they were used in von Neumann's universal constructor. The von neumann universal constructor was designed without the use of a computer. The fundamental details of the machine were published in von Neumann's book Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata, completed in 1966 by Arthur W. Burks after von Neumann's death. It is regarded as foundational for automata theory, complex systems, and artificial life.
Nobili cellular automaton is a variation of von Neumann's cellular automaton, augmented with the ability for confluent cells to cross signals and store information. The former requires an extra three states, hence Nobili's cellular automaton has 32 states, rather than 29. Hutton's cellular automaton is yet another variation, which allows a loop of data, analogous to Langton's loops, to replicate.
See also
External links
- Von Neumann cellular automaton at Wikipedia