Two Types of Network Systems
Two Types of Network Systems
The initial state of a network system consists of a network with two connections per node, an "above" connection (shown with a directed arc above the connected nodes) and a "below" connection (shown with an arc below the connected nodes in the opposite direction). Network systems then evolve based on rules that specify how the "above" and "below" connections should be rerouted. [NKS, p. 199]
This Demonstration investigates two types of network systems: simple network systems that reroute connections between the nodes while keeping the total number of nodes the same, and node-creating network systems that add up to two nodes in the "above" connection of a node. [NKS, p. 200]
The straight lines in this Demonstration are shown for alignment purposes only: for simple network systems, it helps to keep track of the nodes, and for node-creating network systems, it shows which new nodes were created from which old nodes.
There are =49 rules for simple network systems, and =441 rules for node-creating network systems.
2
7
2
21
For an example of how to decipher the rules, please see the "Details" section.