ON ASYNCHRONOUS CELLULAR AUTOMATA

Sequential dynamical systems over words

We say that a finite asynchronous cellular automaton (or more generally, any sequential dynamical system) is ?-independent if its set of periodic points are independent of the order that the local functions are applied. In this case, the local functions permute the periodic points, and these permutations generate the dynamics group. We have previously shown that exactly 104 of the possible $2^{2^{3}}=256$ cellular automaton rules are ?-independent. In the article, we classify the periodic states of these systems and describe their dynamics groups, which are quotients of Coxeter groups. The dynamics groups provide information about permissible dynamics as a function of update sequence and, as such, connect discrete dynamical systems, group theory, and algebraic combinatorics in a new and interesting way. We conclude with a discussion of numerous open problems and directions for future research.

We study how hard is to determine some fundamental properties of dynamics of certain types of network automata. We address the computational complexity of determining how many different possible dynamic evolutions can arise from some structurally very simple, deterministic and sparsely connected network automata. In this as well as our prior, related work, we try to push the limits on the underlying simplicity of two structural aspects of such network automata: (i) the uniform sparseness of their topologies, and (ii) severely restricted local behaviors of the individual agents (that is, the local update rules of the network nodes). In this endeavor, we prove that counting the Fixed Point (FP) configurations and the predecessor and ancestor configurations in two classes of network automata, called Sequential and Synchronous Dynamical Systems (SDSs and SyDSs, respectively), are computationally intractable problems. Moreover, this intractability is shown to hold when each node in such a network is required to update according to (i) a monotone Boolean function, (ii) a symmetric Boolean function, or even (iii) a simple threshold function that is both monotone and symmetric. Furthermore, the hardness of the exact enumeration of FPs and other types of configurations of interest remains to hold even in some severely restricted cases with respect to both the network topology and the diversity (or lack thereof) of individual node's local update rules. Namely, we show that the counting problems of interest remain hard even when the nodes of an SDS or SyDS use at most two different update rules from a given restricted class, and, additionally, when the network topologies are constrained so that each node has only $c = O(1)$ neighbors for small values of constant $c$. Our results also have considerable implications for other discrete dynamical system models studied in applied mathematics, physics, biology and computer science, such as Hopfield networks and spin glasses. In particular, one corollary of our results is that determining the memory capacity of sparse discrete Hopfield networks (viewed as associative memories) remains computationally intractable even when the interconnection and dependence structure among the nodes of a Hopfield network is severely restricted.

On the robustness of update schedules in Boolean networks

In this paper, we are concerned with the solvability for a class of nonlinear sequential fractional dynamical systems with damping infinite dimensional spaces, which involves fractional Riemann-Liouville derivatives. The solutions of the dynamical systems are obtained by utilizing the method of Laplace transform technique and are based on the formula of the Laplace transform of the Mittag-Leffler function in two parameters. Next, we present the existence and uniqueness of solutions for nonlinear sequential fractional dynamical systems with damping by using fixed point theorems under some appropriate conditions.

This report summarizes LDRD-funded mathematical research related to computer simulation, inspired in part by combinatorial analysis of sequence to structure relationships of bio-molecules. Computer simulations calculate the interactions among many individual, local entities, thereby generating global dynamics. The objective of this project was to establish a mathematical basis for a comprehensive theory of computer simulations. This mathematical theory is intended to rigorously underwrite very large complex simulations, including simulation of bio- and socio-technical systems. We believe excellent progress has been made. Abstraction of three main ingredients of simulation forms the mathematical setting, called Sequential Dynamical Systems (SDS): (1) functions realized as data-local procedures represent entity state transformations, (2) a graph that expresses locality of the functions and which represents the dependencies among entities, and (3) an ordering, or schedule according to which the entities are evaluated, e.g., up-dated. The research spans algebraic foundations, formal dynamical systems, computer simulation, and theoretical computer science. The theoretical approach is also deeply related to theoretical issues in parallel compilation. Numerous publications were produced, follow-on projects have been identified and are being developed programmatically, and a new area in computational algebra, SDS, was produced.

The conceptions of $\chi$-value and K-rotation symmetric Boolean functions are introduced by Cusick. K-rotation symmetric Boolean functions are a special rotation symmetric functions, which are invariant under the $k-th$ power of $\rho$.In this paper, we discuss cubic 2-value 2-rotation symmetric Boolean function with $2n$ variables, which denoted by $F^{2n}(x^{2n})$. We give the recursive formula of weight of $F^{2n}(x^{2n})$, and prove that the weight of $F^{2n}(x^{2n})$ is the same as its nonlinearity.

Update schedules of sequential dynamical systems

Two important classes of symmetric Boolean functions are the equal-weight Boolean functions and the elementary (or homogeneous) symmetric Boolean functions. In this paper we studied the equal-weight symmetric Boolean functions. First the Walsh spectra of the equal-weight symmetric Boolean functions are given. Second the sufficient and necessary condition on correlation-immunity of the equal-weight symmetric Boolean function is derived and other cryptology properties such as the nonlinearity, balance and propagation criterion are taken into account. In particular, the nonlinearity of the equal-weight symmetric Boolean functions with n (n ≥ 10) variables is determined by their Hamming weight. Considering these properties will be helpful in further investigations of symmetric Boolean functions.

Matrix method for linear sequential dynamical systems on digraphs

Two Boolean functions are affine equivalent if one can be obtained from the other by applying an affine transformation to the input variables. For a long time, there have been efforts to investigate the affine equivalence of Boolean functions. Due to the complexity of the general problem, only affine equivalence under certain groups of permutations is usually considered. Boolean functions which are invariant under the action of cyclic rotation of the input variables are known as rotation symmetric (RS) Boolean functions. Due to their speed of computation and the prospect of being good cryptographic Boolean functions, this class of Boolean functions has received a lot of attention from cryptographic researchers. In this paper, we study affine equivalence for the simplest rotation symmetric Boolean functions, called MRS functions, which are generated by the cyclic permutations of a single monomial. Using Pólya’s enumeration theorem, we compute the number of equivalence classes, under certain large groups of permutations, for these MRS functions in any number

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On Acyclic Orientations and Sequential Dynamical Systems

The Stochastic Boolean Function Evaluation problem for symmetric Boolean functions

This paper reports a study that has established the possibility of improving the effectiveness of the method of figurative transformations in order to minimize symmetrical Boolean functions in the main and polynomial bases. Prospective reserves in the analytical method were identified, such as simplification of polynomial function conjuncterms using the created equivalent transformations based on the method of inserting the same conjuncterms followed by the operation of super-gluing the variables. The method of figurative transformations was extended to the process of minimizing the symmetrical Boolean functions with the help of algebra in terms of rules for simplifying the functions of the main and polynomial bases and developed equivalent transformations of conjuncterms. It was established that the simplification of symmetric Boolean functions by the method of figurative transformations is based on a flowchart with repetition, which is the actual truth table of the assigned function. This is a sufficient resource to minimize symmetrical Boolean functions that makes it possible to do without auxiliary objects, such as Karnaugh maps, cubes, etc. The perfect normal form of symmetrical functions can be represented by binary matrices that would represent the terms of symmetrical Boolean functions and the OR or XOR operation for them. The experimental study has confirmed that the method of figurative transformations that employs the 2-(n, b)-design, and 2-(n, x/b)-design combinatorial systems improves the efficiency of minimizing symmetrical Boolean functions. Compared to analogs, this makes it possible to enhance the productivity of minimizing symmetrical Boolean functions by 100‒200 %. There are grounds to assert the possibility of improving the effectiveness of minimizing symmetrical Boolean functions in the main and polynomial bases by the method of figurative transformations. This is ensured, in particular, by using the developed equivalent transformations of polynomial function conjuncterms based on the method of inserting similar conjuncterms followed by the operation of super-gluing the variables.