Automatic Programming of Cellular Automata and Artificial Neural Networks Guided by Philosophy

Abstract

Many computer models have been developed and successfully applied. However, in some cases, these models might be restrictive on the possible solutions or their solutions might be difficult to interpret. To overcome this problem, we outline a new approach, the so-called allagmatic method, that automatically programs and executes models with as little limitations as possible while maintaining human interpretability. Earlier we described a metamodel and its building blocks according to the philosophical concepts of structure and operation. They are entity, milieu, and update function that together abstractly describe a computer model. By automatically combining these building blocks in an evolutionary computation, interpretability might be increased by the relationship to the metamodel, and models might be translated into more interpretable models via the metamodel. We propose generic and object-oriented programming to implement the entities and their milieus as dynamic and generic arrays and the update function as a method. We show two experiments where a simple cellular automaton and an artificial neural network are automatically programmed, compiled, and executed. A target state is successfully reached in both cases. We conclude that the allagmatic method can create and execute cellular automaton and artificial neural network models in an automated manner with the guidance of philosophy.

Both authors contributed equally to this work.