[MUD-Dev] Re: cellular automata as universe models

[James Wilson <jwilson#rochester,rr.com>]

On Mon, 14 Sep 1998, Joel Kelso wrote:
>James Wilson wrote:
>
>> Hi all, I've been thinking about how one might use cellular
>> automata to model a universe. By 'cellular automata', I mean a
>> set of nodes where a given node's state changes are completely
>> determined by a set of neighboring nodes. (The research community
>> uses the term a little more carefully than I do. Purists, please forgive
>> my insolence.)
>
>Have you read "Permutation City" by Greg Egan ?

no. what is it? 

><snipped design bits for cellular-automata based MUD>

[snip]

>If you disallow non-local access, you might get another advantage: the
> ability to simply partition the processesing for your world onto multiple
> processors. 
Inter-process communication occurs only at well-defined
> boundaries (although
 you could shift the boundaries dynamically to do
> load balancing), and by
 a well-defined protocols. Just a thought.

Yes, this could be done. Have there been muds running on (not just
multiple processors but) multiple machines with some sort of shared 
memory or messaging protocol? Was this done out of necessity?

>I have to admit that when I first read you post I thought: "what do CA have to
>dowith MUDs ?" ... but the possible serialisation and parallelisation advantages
>of a cellular world with no non-local references really make this worth thinking
>about.

good, I'm glad I'm not totally off base. ;)

>MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.

You know, I thought I understood this quote, but now I'm confused again. 

James