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Cellular Computing

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Unconventional Computing

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science Series ((ECSSS))

  • Originally published in
  • R. A. Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Glossary

Cell:

The biological cell is the smallest self-contained, self-maintaining, and self-reproducing unit of all living organisms. Various computing paradigms were inspired by the biological cell.

Computation:

Synonymous with information processing or also algorithm. Computations can, for example, be performed by abstract machines, real computer hardware, or biological systems. The abstract concept of the Turing machine separates the class of computable from the class of non-computable functions.

Computing:

The science that deals with the manipulation of symbols. Also refers to the processes carried out by real or abstract computers.

Molecular computing:

A subfield of cellular computing, where the molecules instead of the cell play a central functional role.

Parallel computing:

Parallel computing involves the execution of a task on multiple processors with the goal to speed up the execution process by dividing up the task into smaller sub-tasks that can be executed simultaneously.

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Teuscher, C. (2018). Cellular Computing. In: Adamatzky, A. (eds) Unconventional Computing. Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6883-1_61

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