STANFORD UNIVERSITY
EE 350 RADIOSCIENCE SEMINAR
Professor Howard Zebker
Fall 2001-2002
Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2001
Time: 4:15 PM; Refreshments at 4:00 PM
Location: 460-334
Ant networks
Prof. Deborah Gordon
Dept. of Biological Sciences Stanford University
Abstract
Ant colonies operate without central control. Task allocation is the
process that allows the colony to adjust the numbers of ants engaged in
each task, in a way appropriate to the current situation. Since no ant
directs the behavior of others, task decisions must be based on fairly
simple, local information. Studies of the red harvester ant indicate
that an ant uses the rate of interaction with others as a cue in
deciding which task to perform, and when to perform it. Task allocation
in old, large colonies differs from that in young, small ones. This
raises the question of how decisions based on interaction rates produce
different dynamics depending on colony size.