Strict Self-Assembly of Fractals using Multiple Hands

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the strict self-assembly of infinite fractals, specifically the Sierpinski triangle and carpet, using multi-handed tile assembly models, including the 2-HAM, achieving near-perfect recursive assembly.

Contribution

It introduces tile assembly algorithms for fractals within the h-handed assembly model, including the first 2-HAM construction for the Sierpinski carpet and a near-perfect 6-HAM for the Sierpinski triangle.

Findings

Successful strict assembly of Sierpinski triangle and carpet fractals.

First 2-HAM assembly of the Sierpinski carpet.

aTAM cannot assemble the non-tree Sierpinski triangle.

Abstract

In this paper we consider the problem of the strict self-assembly of infinite fractals within tile self-assembly. In particular, we provide tile assembly algorithms for the assembly of the discrete Sierpinski triangle and the discrete Sierpinski carpet within a class of models we term the \emph{$h$-handed assembly model} ($h$-HAM), which generalizes the 2-HAM to allow up to $h$ assemblies to combine in a single assembly step. Despite substantial consideration, no purely growth self-assembly model has yet been shown to strictly assemble an infinite fractal without significant modification to the fractal shape. In this paper we not only achieve this, but in the case of the Sierpinski carpet are able to achieve it within the 2-HAM, one of the most well studied tile assembly models in the literature. Our specific results are as follows. We provide a $6$-HAM construction for the Sierpinski triangle that works at scale factor 1, 30 tile types, and assembles the fractal in a \emph{near perfect} way in which all intermediate assemblies are finite-sized iterations of the recursive fractal. We further assemble the Sierpinski triangle within the $3$-HAM at scale factor 3 and 990 tile types. For the Sierpinski carpet, we present a $2$-HAM result that works at scale factor 3 and uses 1,216 tile types. We further include analysis showing that the aTAM is incapable of strictly assembling the non-tree Sierpinski triangle considered in this paper, and that multiple hands are needed for the near-perfect assembly of the Sierpinski triangle and the Sierpinski carpet.