Pulsing Dynamics in Randomly Wired Glider Cellular Automata
Andrew Wuensche and Edward Coxon
Sustained rhythmic oscillations, pulsing dynamics, emerge spontaneously when the local connection scheme is randomised in 3-value cellular automata that feature “glider” dynamics. Time-plots of pulsing measures maintain a distinct waveform for each glider rule, and scatter plots of entropy/density and the density return-map show unique signatures, which have the characteristics of chaotic strange attractors. We present case studies, possible mechanisms, and implications for oscillatory networks in biology.
Keywords: Cellular automata, glider dynamics, random wiring, pulsing, biooscillations, emergence, chaos, complexity, strange attractor, heartbeat, sympathetic centre, central pattern generator