Definitions
- Task allocation "... is the process that results in specific workers being engaged in specific tasks, in numbers appropriate to the current situation. operates without any central or hierarchical control..." The concept of task allocation is individual-centric. It focuses on decisions by individuals about what task to perform. However, different biomathematical models give different weights to inter-individual interactions vs. environmental stimuli.
- Task partitioning refers to the division of one task into sequential actions done by more than one individual. The focus here is on the task, and its division, rather than on the individuals performing it. For example, "hygienic behavior" is a task in which worker bees uncap and remove diseased brood cells that may be affected by American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae) or the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. In this case, individual bees often focus on either uncapping or removing diseased brood. Therefore the task is partitioned, and performed by multiple individuals.
Read more about this topic: Task Allocation And Partitioning Of Social Insects
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