The ig-Calculus : A Computational Formalism and its Relationship to Biological Processes

Biotic systems have been described and analyzed for years. What is attempted here is the creation of a computational formalism which abstracts various principles of these simple systems and provides a consistent structure based on the theory of computation. Existent computational calculi are examined and found to fall short, based on certain criteria related to biological defensibility, which are held to be necessary for a proper abstraction. Therefore, the creation and description of a more biologically defensible calculus, the ig -calculus1, is undertaken. This calculus is based upon the π-calculus, a formalism whose foundation is interaction, rather than function. The ig -calculus, its relationship to biology, as well as future directions for this new formalism are examined.