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Transforming communicating X-machines into P systems

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Abstract

Tissue P systems (tPS) represent a class of P systems in which cells are arranged in a graph rather than a hierarchical structure. On the other hand, communicating X-machines (XMs) are state-based machines, extended with a memory structure and transition functions instead of simple inputs, which communicate via message passing. One could use communicating XMs to create models built out of components in a rather intuitive way. There are investigations showing how various classes of P systems can be modelled as communicating XMs. In this paper, we define a set of principles to transform communicating XMs into tPS. We describe the rules that govern such transformations, present an example to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and discuss ways to extend it to more general models, such as population P systems, which involve dynamic structures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Prof. Mike Holcombe for his inspiring ideas on X-machines. His support and contribution encouraged our research motivation for more than a decade.

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Correspondence to Petros Kefalas.

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Kefalas, P., Stamatopoulou, I., Sakellariou, I. et al. Transforming communicating X-machines into P systems. Nat Comput 8, 817–832 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11047-008-9103-y

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