A P system is a computational model in the field of computer science that performs calculations using a biologically-inspired process. They are based upon the structure of biological cells, abstracting from the way in which chemicals interact and cross cell membranes. The concept was first introduced in a 1998 report by the computer scientist Gheorghe Păun, whose last name is the origin of the letter P in 'P Systems'. Variations on the P system model led to the formation of a branch of research known as 'membrane computing.'
Although inspired by biology, the primary research interest in P systems is concerned with their use as a computational model, rather than for biological modeling, although this is also being investigated.
Read more about P System: Informal Description, Components of A P System, Computation Process, As A Computational Model, Example Computation
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“He is not a true man of science who does not bring some sympathy to his studies, and expect to learn something by behavior as well as by application. It is childish to rest in the discovery of mere coincidences, or of partial and extraneous laws. The study of geometry is a petty and idle exercise of the mind, if it is applied to no larger system than the starry one.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)