Swarm Intelligence

Term Paper # 45467

Biology > Zoology
Computer and Technology > Networks
Computer and Technology > Programming
Computer and Technology > Technology

Swarm Intelligence

An overview of the theory and applications of swarm intelligence.

2,458 words () | 8 sources | APA | 2003 United Kingdom

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how for the past few years computer scientists, in particular those concerned with research, have been fascinated by the interaction of social insects and the way in which a community of simple single individuals can come together to perform complex tasks. It analyzes how ants, termites and bees are all simple individuals and how in order to survive the form complex communities they interact to complete certain tasks. It describes how these interactions can be useful in providing new ways of solving such computing issues as routing, robotics and security. It shows how as networks and datasets continue to increase in the future, many current systems will simply be unable to cope with the strain and demand and how swarm intelligence offers a novel way to produce low cost, easy to understand and scaleable agents and applications for the future.

From the Paper:

"One of the most influential figures in the study of this behavior was the French biologist Pierre-Paul Grass. In 1959 he observed the behavior of nest building in termites and discovered the incredible way in which they achieve this complex task by working together. When termites start nest construction hundreds of individuals move around at random. At first each termite starts to drop small pellets of masticated earth which are infused with pheromones, these form slight elevations in the ground. As time goes on another termite will find these elevations by sensing the pheromones and its behavior will change, it will start to place pellets on top of these elevations. As more and more individuals start to do this a column will begin to form until it reaches a specific height."