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String: A novel programming language with applications to genetic programming and protocell model simulation

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String: A novel programming language with applications to genetic programming and protocell model simulation

Islam, Mohiul (2025) String: A novel programming language with applications to genetic programming and protocell model simulation. PhD thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

String is a new computer language designed specifically for the implementation of ‘ribozymes’, the active entities within a new (highly simplified) model of proto-cellular life. The purpose of the model is the study of the abstract nature of simple cellular life and its relationship to computation. This model contains passive and active entities; passive entities are data and active ones are executable data (or programs). All programs in our model are written or evolved in String. In this thesis, we describe String and provide examples of both hand-written and evolved String programs belonging to different functional categories needed for cellular operation (e.g., transporter, transformer, replicator and translator). Results from the evolutionary runs are presented and discussed, where almost all ribozymes reached their optimum fitness. The latest measures of robustness and evolvability are presented, and are applied to String programs. Next a 2-state 3-symbol universal Turing machine is written in String, to prove its Turing-completeness. Finally, we present a complete ProtoCell model with an artificial metabolic cycle at its core. This cycle is simulated using a Gillespie algorithm, where String-encoded ribozymes act the ‘enzymes’ catalysing the different chemical reactions. The genomic subsystem is integrated with ProtoCell with a changing concentration of each ribozyme using self regulating differential equations, while membrane subsystem consists of a permeable membrane diffusing atoms and energy while transporting molecules between the cytoplasm and the environment. After independent stable simulation of the individual subsystems, we combined all three subsystems to have a continuously running stable ProtoCell simulation.

Divisions:Concordia University > Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science > Electrical and Computer Engineering
Item Type:Thesis (PhD)
Authors:Islam, Mohiul
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:Ph. D.
Program:Electrical and Computer Engineering
Date:15 April 2025
Thesis Supervisor(s):Kharma, Nawwaf
Keywords:Programming Languages, Artificial Life, Evolutionary Computation, Genetic Programming.
ID Code:995710
Deposited By: MOHIUL ISLAM
Deposited On:04 Nov 2025 16:12
Last Modified:04 Nov 2025 16:12

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