Research Article

Complex genetic evolution of artificial self-replicators in cellular automata

  1. Chris Salzberg1,2,
  2. Hiroki Sayama1,*

Article first published online: 21 DEC 2004

DOI: 10.1002/cplx.20060

Issue

Complexity

Complexity

Volume 10, Issue 2, pages 33–39, November/December 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Salzberg, C. and Sayama, H. (2004), Complex genetic evolution of artificial self-replicators in cellular automata. Complexity, 10: 33–39. doi: 10.1002/cplx.20060

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Human Communication, University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan

  2. 2

    Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan

*Department of Human Communication, University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 DEC 2004
  2. Article first published online: 21 DEC 2004
  3. Manuscript Revised: 22 OCT 2004
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 22 OCT 2004
  5. Manuscript Received: 23 JUL 2004

Funded by

  • International Information Science Foundation
  • Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic)
  • VSB Funds

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Keywords:

  • cellular automata;
  • self-replication;
  • genetic evolution;
  • diversity;
  • adaptation

Abstract

It is widely believed that evolutionary dynamics of artificial self-replicators realized in cellular automata (CA) are limited in diversity and adaptation. Contrary to this view, we show that complex genetic evolution may occur within simple CA. The evolving self-replicating loops (“evoloops”) we investigate exhibit significant diversity in macro-scale morphologies and mutational biases, undergoing nontrivial genetic adaptation by maximizing colony density and enhancing sustainability against other species. Nonmutable subsequences enable genetic operations that alter fitness differentials and promote long-term evolutionary exploration. These results demonstrate a unique example of genetic evolution hierarchically emerging from local interactions between elements much smaller than individual replicators. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 10: 33–39, 2004

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