More about artificial Life ( Alife )

ANT MODELS

This note will hopefully explain what my ant models do.

There are two main models, Geno8, the IQ and eyesight model , and Geno6, the basic model. Geno6 is actualy far more complex to observe as there are two species involved, (predator and prey) and the prey lives through three separate development stages to reach maturity.

Gen08, on the other hand, simple shows a dynamic population development between a group of predators and their prey; the complexity coming from the fact that the eyesight and 'IQ' of the hunters can be passed on to their offspring.

Geno5.exe

The red dots are adult ants known as slaves, they can breed if they are old enough and have bumped into another slave. Slaves can be eaten by hunters if they bump into one! The gestation period for a pregnant slave is variable but may be a substantial part of a slaves life span, which is also variable.

A pregnant slave gives birth to bugs which are green, bugs cannot move far from where they are born. When they are old enough, they become cubs. Cubs go to the north where their nursery area is, they are reasonably safe here but may still be eaten by a hunter.

Cubs eventually become slaves, they now travel the world and when old enough may meet another nice slave and start a family......

Hunters roam the World. They can only SEE bugs and have limited eye sight. They will look for the nearest bug and go for it. Hunters can breed only if

1. They are old enough

2. They have eaten

3. They bump into another hunter

IQ and Eyesight model

In Gen08.exe, there are only bugs and hunters, the bugs being born at regular intervals in a random xy location to the right hand side of the universe. The bugs will not travel far from their birth place. The model starts with hunters confined to an area to the left of the game universe, new hunters being born 'near' their parents.

Hunters obey the same rules as in the Geno6Geno6 model but they have added rules.

1. They always return to the left side of the universe if they cannot see food, (bugs) or if they have eaten, as soon as they have met a nice hunter to have fun with, they will be hungry again!

2. They have an attribute which determines how far they can see, food within that range will be hunted.

3. The IQ is modelled by clever hunters being able to regularly check to see if there are bugs nearer than the bug they were originally chasing.

This last rule may need more explanation:- If a hunter can see bugs, he picks the nearest and goes for it, it may take some time too reach it and several things may happen.

i. The bug may die before he gets there.

ii. The bug may be eaten by someone else.

iii. There may be more bugs arriving nearer to him than the one he is chasing.

iv. It is certain that the bug will have moved before the hunter gets to its first sighted position (ie he is going to an empty site).

A clever hunter will check to see which is the nearest bug EVERY time, before a move.

A NOT so clever hunter will always go to the position it set out for and only when he gets there he will it look again to see the position of nearest food.