Polarization: a new communication protocol in networks of bio-inspired processors

Abstract

This work is a survey of the most recent results regarding the computational power of the networks of bio-inspired processors whose communication is based on a new protocol called polarization. In the former models, the communication amongst processors is based on filters defined by some random-context conditions, namely the presence of some symbols and the absence of other symbols. In the new protocol discussed here, a polarization (negative, neutral, and positive) is associated with each node, while the polarization of data navigating through the network is computed in a dynamical way by means of a valuation function. Consequently, the protocol of communication amongst processors is naturally based on the compatibility between their polarization and the polarization of the data. We consider here three types of bio-inspired processors: evolutionary processors, splicing processors, and multiset processors. A quantitative generalization of polarization (evaluation sets) is also presented. We recall results regarding the computational power of these networks considered as accepting devices. Furthermore, a solution to an intractable problem, namely the 0 / 1 Knapsack problem, based on the networks of splicing processors with evaluation sets considered as problem solving devices, is also recalled. Finally, we discuss some open problems and possible directions for further research in this area.