Unconventional Computing

This volume of the Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, Second Edition, is a unique collection of concise overviews of state-of-art, theoretical and experimental findings, prepared by the world leaders in unconventional computing. Topics covered include bacterial computing, artificial chemistry, amorphous computing, computing with Solitons, evolution in materio, immune computing, mechanical computing, molecular automata, membrane computing, bio-inspired metaheuristics, reversible computing, sound and music computing, enzyme based computing, structural machines, reservoir computing, infinity computing, biomolecular data structures, slime mould computing, nanocomputers, analog computers, DNA computing, novel hardware, thermodynamics of computation, and quantum and optical computing. Unconventional computing is a cross-breed of computer science, physics, mathematics, chemistry, electronic engineering, biology, materials science and nanotechnology. The aims are to uncover and exploit principles and mechanisms of information processing in and functional properties of physical, chemical and living systems, with the goal to develop efficient algorithms, design optimal architectures and manufacture working prototypes of future and emergent computing devices.