On diversity of configurations generated by excitable cellular automata with dynamical excitation intervals

TL;DR

This paper investigates the diverse behaviors of excitable cellular automata with dynamic excitation intervals, revealing how variations influence morphological diversity and potential applications in modeling biological and material systems.

Contribution

It introduces an analysis of morphological and generative diversity in excitable automata with dynamic excitation intervals, highlighting the impact of upper boundary variations on diversity.

Findings

Upper boundary of excitation interval significantly affects morphological diversity.

No direct correlation between highest morphological diversity and boundary diversity.

Automaton behaviors relate to biological excitable media and novel materials.

Abstract

Excitable cellular automata with dynamical excitation interval exhibit a wide range of space-time dynamics based on an interplay between propagating excitation patterns which modify excitability of the automaton cells. Such interactions leads to formation of standing domains of excitation, stationary waves and localised excitations. We analysed morphological and generative diversities of the functions studied and characterised the functions with highest values of the diversities. Amongst other intriguing discoveries we found that upper boundary of excitation interval more significantly affects morphological diversity of configurations generated than lower boundary of the interval does and there is no match between functions which produce configurations of excitation with highest morphological diversity and configurations of interval boundaries with highest morphological diversity. Potential directions of future studies of excitable media with dynamically changing excitability may focus on relations of the automaton model with living excitable media, e.g. neural tissue and muscles, novel materials with memristive properties, and networks of conductive polymers.