von Neumann universal constructor
John von Neumann's Universal Constructor is a self-replicating machine in a cellular automata (CA) environment.
Description
It was designed in the 1940s, without the use of a computer.
The fundamental details of the machine were published in von Neumann's book Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata, completed in 1966 by Arthur W. Burks after von Neumann's death.
Von Neumann's specification defined the machine as using 29 states, these states constituting means of signal carriage and logical operation, and acting upon signals represented as bit streams.
A 'tape' of cells encodes the sequence of actions to be performed by the machine.
Using a writing head (termed a construction arm) the machine can print out (construct) a new pattern of cells, allowing it to make a complete copy of itself, and the tape.
See also
- Cellular automaton
- Codd's cellular automaton
- Langton's loops
- Nobili cellular automata
- Quine (computing)
- Self-replicating machine
- Santa Claus machine
- Von Neumann cellular automaton
- Wireworld
External links
- von Neumann's Universal Constructor @ Wikipedia
