On modeling Maze solving ability of slime mold via a hyperbolic model of chemotaxis

TL;DR

This paper models the maze-solving behavior of slime mold using a hyperbolic chemotaxis model, demonstrating qualitative agreement with observed behavior through numerical tests on network geometries.

Contribution

It introduces a hyperbolic chemotaxis model with specific boundary conditions to simulate slime mold maze-solving, providing a new mathematical approach.

Findings

Model aligns qualitatively with slime mold behavior

Numerical tests validate the hyperbolic model

Applicable to various network geometries

Abstract

Many studies have shown that Physarum polycephalum slime mold is able to find the shortest path in a maze. In this paper we study this behavior in a network, using a hyperbolic model of chemotaxis. Suitable transmission and boundary conditions at each node are considered to mimic the behavior of such an organism in the feeding process. Several numerical tests are presented for special network geometries to show the qualitative agreement between our model and the observed behavior of the mold.