4 Internal Algorithm Review
Computational Autopoiesis: The Original Algorithm
2 Overview of the Model
Chemistry
The current report is explicitly not concerned with the phenomenology which this model chemistry may give rise to. However, in order to put the model properly in context, I will briefly summarise the significant phenomenon which might be anticipated.
First note that the given chemistry might plausibly allow the formation (spontaneously or otherwise) of ``cellular'' structures, consisting of one or more catalyst particles contained within a closed chain of L particles. The boundary or membrane of this structure would be permeable to S; thus, such particles could continue to permeate into the structure. Under the action of the K particles, these would then react to form L particles which would also be trapped within the membrane. Thus, a high concentration of L particles could be built up. On an on-going basis, the membrane will rupture, as constituent L particles disintegrate. However, because of the high concentration of L particles already produced within the membrane, it may be expected that one or more of these will diffuse to the rupture site, and allow a repair (possibly in a different conformation), before the K particle can escape. In this way, such a structure would continuously produce or renew itself, while also discriminating itself from its environment: it would be a (minimal) example of autopoietic organisation.
Incidentally, it is not apparent from this why the composition reaction was specified to require two S particles to generate a single L particle. Granted, if the space is initially filled with S particles plus a small number of K particles, it may be useful to generate some holes as a by product of composition, so as to make motion of particles generally easier; but it would seem equally easy to specify that the initial state of the space already contains a ``reasonable'' concentration of holes, and simplify the composition reaction to generate one L particle from one S particle. It certainly seems to me that there is nothing in the phenomenology outlined above that would rely on this 2:1 ratio in the composition reaction.
4 Internal Algorithm Review
Computational Autopoiesis: The Original Algorithm
2 Overview of the Model
Chemistry
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Timestamp: Tue Dec 31 18:43:32 GMT 1996