From Utopian To Genuine Unconventional Computers

Unconventional computing is a field of advanced computer science, which general goal might be summarised as the quest for both new groundbreaking algorithms and physical implementations of novel and ultimately more powerful - compared to classical approaches - computing paradigms and machines. This volume brings together work that especially focuses on experimental prototypes and genuine implementations of non-classical computing devices. A further goal was to revisit existing approaches in unconventional computing, to provide scientists and engineers with blue-prints of realisable computing devices, and to take a critical glance at the design of novel and emergent computing systems to point out failures and shortcomings of both theoretical and experimental approaches.

Unconventional computing is the quest for groundbreaking new algorithms and computing architectures based on and inspired by the principles of information processing in physical, chemical and biological systems. The timely scientific contributions in this book include cutting-edge theoretical work on quantum and kinematic Turing machines, computational complexity of physical systems, molecular and chemical computation, processing incomplete information, physical hypercomputation, automata networks and swarms. They are nicely complemented by recent results on experimental implementations of logical and arithmetical circuits in a domino substrate, DNA computers, and self-assembly. The book supports interdisciplinary research in the field of future computing and contributes toward developing a common interface between computer science, biology, mathematics, chemistry, electronics engineering, and physics.

The unconventional computing is a niche for interdisciplinary science, cross-bred of computer science, physics, mathematics, chemistry, electronic engineering, biology, material science and nanotechnology. The aims of this book are to uncover and exploit principles and mechanisms of information processing in and functional properties of physical, chemical and living systems to develop efficient algorithms, design optimal architectures and manufacture working prototypes of future and emergent computing devices. This second volume presents experimental laboratory prototypes and applied computing implementations. Emergent molecular computing is presented by enzymatic logical gates and circuits, and DNA nano-devices. Reaction-diffusion chemical computing is exemplified by logical circuits in Belousov-Zhabotinsky medium and geometrical computation in precipitating chemical reactions. Logical circuits realised with solitons and impulses in polymer chains show advances in collision-based computing. Photo-chemical and memristive devices give us a glimpse on hot topics of a novel hardware. Practical computing is represented by algorithms of collective and immune-computing and nature-inspired optimisation. Living computing devices are implemented in real and simulated cells, regenerating organisms, plant roots and slime mould. The book is the encyclopedia, the first ever complete authoritative account, of the theoretical and experimental findings in the unconventional computing written by the world leaders in the field. All chapters are self-contains, no specialist background is required to appreciate ideas, findings, constructs and designs presented. This treatise in unconventional computing appeals to readers from all walks of life, from high-school pupils to university professors, from mathematicians, computers scientists and engineers to chemists and biologists.

This pioneering text/reference explores how innovative new modes of computation may provide exciting new directions for future developments in the music industry, guiding the reader through the latest research in this emerging, interdisciplinary field. This work includes coverage of electronic music compositions and performances that incorporate unconventional interfacing, hacking and circuit bending. Features: presents an introduction to unconventional computing in music; discusses initiatives involving biophysical electronic music, the work of self-styled silicon luthiers, and the intersection of music and quantum computing; introduces the memristor, a new electronic component with the potential to revolutionize how computers are built; reviews experiments and practical applications of biological memristors in music; describes IMUSIC, an unconventional tone-based programming language, which enables the programming of computers using musical phrases; includes review questions at the end of each chapter.

Modern computing relies on future and emergent technologies which have been conceived via interaction between computer science, engineering, chemistry, physics and biology. This highly interdisciplinary book presents advances in the fields of parallel, distributed and emergent information processing and computation. The book represents major breakthroughs in parallel quantum protocols, elastic cloud servers, structural properties of interconnection networks, internet of things, morphogenetic collective systems, swarm intelligence and cellular automata, unconventionality in parallel computation, algorithmic information dynamics, localized DNA computation, graph-based cryptography, slime mold inspired nano-electronics and cytoskeleton computers. Features Truly interdisciplinary, spanning computer science, electronics, mathematics and biology Covers widely popular topics of future and emergent computing technologies, cloud computing, parallel computing, DNA computation, security and network analysis, cryptography, and theoretical computer science Provides unique chapters written by top experts in theoretical and applied computer science, information processing and engineering From Parallel to Emergent Computing provides a visionary statement on how computing will advance in the next 25 years and what new fields of science will be involved in computing engineering. This book is a valuable resource for computer scientists working today, and in years to come.

This Festschrift is a tribute to Susan Stepney’s ideas and achievements in the areas of computer science, formal specifications and proofs, complex systems, unconventional computing, artificial chemistry, and artificial life. All chapters were written by internationally recognised leaders in computer science, physics, mathematics, and engineering. The book shares fascinating ideas, algorithms and implementations related to the formal specification of programming languages and applications, behavioural inheritance, modelling and analysis of complex systems, parallel computing and non-universality, growing cities, artificial life, evolving artificial neural networks, and unconventional computing. Accordingly, it offers an insightful and enjoyable work for readers from all walks of life, from undergraduate students to university professors, from mathematicians, computers scientists and engineers to physicists, chemists and biologists.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Unconventional Computation, UC 2006, held in York, UK, in September 2006. The 17 revised full papers presented together with four invited full papers were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. All current aspects of unconventional computation are addressed - theory as well as experiments and applications.