Ant Droplet Dynamics Evolve via Individual Decision-Making

Authored by Tomoko Sakiyama

Date Published: 2017

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13775-5

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Pseudocode Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

The droplets of a set of ants were studied while they constructed a bridge. A droplet is a group of ants derived from a larger group. Several experimental studies have revealed the droplet dynamics of ants that resemble the self-organising characteristics that are displayed in their physico-chemical systems. However, little is known regarding how these typical behaviours emerge from individual decision-making. In this study, I developed an agent-based model where artificial ants aggregated, thereby resulting in chain and droplet growth. In my proposed model, the agents tuned their weight thresholds according to the local pattern stability and propagation of negative information. As a result, it was revealed that the droplet dynamics of my proposed model partly matched the time series of droplets of real ants, as demonstrated in previous experimental studies that included the fluctuation function and interdrop increments that followed a scale-free distribution.

Tags

patterns Argentine ant Longinoda