Notes are prepared by using book

Fundamentals of Natural Computing

written by L.N. de Castro and by using
NACO lecture notes by Thomas Baeck

Introduction
Lecture Notes

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hrevren Kl

Computer Engineering Department
Gediz University

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Contents

Motivation

NAtural COmputing-NACO Concepts

Branches of NACO and Fields of

Investigation

When to use NACO Approaches ?

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Motivation

Observe, study & understand nature.

Use, re-shape & develop natural resources for
welfare of humanity and ourselves without damaging
and causing any harm on it.
Natural mechanisms: Sources of inspiration or
metaphor for solving complex science & engineering
problems.
Use of computers to simulate & emulate biological
life and processes.
New natural material and means to compute.
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Motivation

Natural Computing: Extracting ideas from nature to

develop computational systems or using natural media
(e.g. molecules) to perform computation (by de Castro)
Development & advancement of NACO benefits to
natural sciences like biology as well (e.g. fields of
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics).
NACO is useful to develop highly abstract models of
nature.
Interaction and similarity between computing and
nature is becoming greater.
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Motivation

Swarm Intelligence

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Motivation

Swarm Intelligence & Self-Organization

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Motivation

Self-Organization

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Motivation

Fractals

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Motivation

Bionics

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Motivation

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Bionics

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NACO Concepts

11

Model: Abstraction of real-world systems or

implementation of a hypothesis in order to investigate
particular questions or to demonstrate particular
features of a system or a hypothesis.
Many details discarded
Simple enough to understand, but
Rich enough to provide behaviors which are
surprising, interesting, useful, significant.

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NACO Concepts

Model is more concerned with quantitatively

reproducing some behavior.
Metaphor: Usually a high level abstraction taken from
a system in order to develop another
Models can

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Assist in prediction
Simulate behavior of natural systems
Aid in critical analysis of processes
Quantitatively describe the system

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NACO Concepts

13

Simulation: Metaphorical models that stand for

something else.
Realization: A literal, material model that implements
certain functions of the original.
Emulation: Imitation or reproduction of a systems
functions using another system or medium.
NACO does all of above.

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Branches of NAC and Fields of

Investigation

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Branches of NAC and Fields of

Investigation

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Branches of NAC and Fields of

Investigation

A hierarchy:

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Subatomic
Atoms
Molecules
Individual
Individual
Populations
Populations
Populations

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Quantum Computing
Simulated Annealing
Molecular Computing
Immunocomputing
Neural Networks
Evolutionary Computation
Swarm Computing
Artificial Life

When to use NACO approaches ?

17

Problem to be solved is complex

Impossible to guarantee that a potential solution
found is optimal
Problem cannot be suitably modeled
Single solution is not good enough
Biological, physical, chemical systems and
processes have to be simulated with realism
Life behaviors and phenomena have to be
synthesized in artificial media
Limits of current technology are reached or new
computing materials have to be sought
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References

18

de Castro, L.N. (2006): Fundamentals of Natural

Computing, Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Baeck, T. (2014): NACO Lecture Notes Leiden
University Natural Computing Group.

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