Trans-Canada Slimeways: Slime mould imitates the Canadian transport network

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how slime mould Physarum polycephalum can replicate and optimize transportation networks similar to the Canadian highway system, revealing biological insights into network efficiency and resilience.

Contribution

The paper presents experimental evidence that slime mould can model and approximate complex human transportation networks, offering a novel bio-inspired approach to network design.

Findings

Slime mould network closely resembles the Canadian highway network in coverage and efficiency.

The slime mould adapts its network in response to contamination, indicating resilience.

Proximity graph analysis reveals structural similarities between biological and human-made networks.

Abstract

Slime mould Physarum polycephalum builds up sophisticated networks to transport nutrients between distant part of its extended body. The slime mould's protoplasmic network is optimised for maximum coverage of nutrients yet minimum energy spent on transportation of the intra-cellular material. In laboratory experiments with P. polycephalum we represent Canadian major urban areas with rolled oats and inoculated slime mould in the Toronto area. The plasmodium spans the urban areas with its network of protoplasmic tubes. We uncover similarities and differences between the protoplasmic network and the Canadian national highway network, analyse the networks in terms of proximity graphs and evaluate slime mould's network response to contamination.