This zip file contains generic Matlab source code
supporting cellular automaton simulations in Matlab.To get started, download
and unzip the file, launch Matlab, change to the directory where you unzipped
the file, and type
>> help ca
For an example application, download and unzip this
file, which contains code for implementing
Conway's Game of Life on an initially empty grid. You can copy all the code
into a single directory, or use Matlab's path-adding capability to work from
either directory. You can create and edit forms by left- and right-clicking,
and then watch them move and interact.
I originally developed this software for a computational modeling
course, to help students do the
cellular automata projects (spread of fire and movement of ants) from the
excellent
Introduction to Computational Science textbook
by Angela and George Shiflet. The students wrote the initialization and
update functions, and I provided the generic code and display function.
This approach allows students with little or no programming experience to
use a powerful, industry-standard tool like Matlab to solve an
interesting problem at an appropriate level of abstraction (one line of code
per CA rule). Because each instruction operates on the entire grid at once,
the approach is also consistent with the recent trend toward
parallel thinking
at the introductory level.
Please contact me with any questions or
suggestions.