Designing Beauty: The Art of Cellular Automata

This fascinating, colourful  book offers in-depth insights and first-hand working experiences in the production of art works, using simple computational models with rich morphological behaviour, at the edge of mathematics, computer science, physics and biology. It organically combines ground breaking scientific discoveries in the theory of computation and complex systems with artistic representations of the research results. In this appealing book mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists, and engineers brought together marvelous and esoteric patterns generated by cellular automata, which are arrays of simple machines with complex behavior. Configurations produced by cellular automata  uncover  mechanics of dynamic patterns formation, their propagation and interaction in natural systems: heart pacemaker, bacterial membrane proteins, chemical rectors, water permeation in soil, compressed gas, cell division, population dynamics, reaction-diffusion media and self-organisation.

The book inspires artists to take on cellular automata as a tool of creativity and it persuades scientists to convert their research results into the works of art.

• Cellular Automata
• Complexity
• Computer Art
• Mathematical Machines
• Self-organization
• Collective Behavior
• Theory of Computation

“The authors succinctly describe the core ideas of the automata used to generate the beautiful images, and some of the interesting explorations that led to the particular calculations behind the images included in the book. … The images and the reference list together make the book a valuable starting point for those interested in the theory or the art, or those who simply want to find websites where these fascinating ideas can be explored and images created.” (D. T. Barnard, Computing Reviews, April, 2016)

“Cellular automata (CA) are discrete time dynamical systems that consist of a regular grid of cells. … It is primarily a collection of nice pictures that were generated by CA. … the book should inspire the scientist to present his or her work in a pleasing and graphically attractive way, and it should invite artists to explore the possibilities to be creative with CA. … this is a survey that can get you started to explore a catchy subject.” (Megan Patnott, MAA Reviews, maa.org, August, 2016)

• Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom

  Andrew Adamatzky

• Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, BRISTOL, United Kingdom

  Genaro J. Martínez

Andrew  Adamatzky is a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Director of the Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol,  UK.  He does research in  reaction-diffusion computing, cellular automata, massive parallel computation, collective intelligence, bionics, complexity, non-linear science, novel hardware.

Genaro J Martinez is a professor at the School of Computer Sciences, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico and visiting fellow at the Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol,  UK. His does research in cellular automata, unconventional computing, artificial life, complex systems, and swarm robotics.

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