Interaction−Based Modeling of Morphogenesis in MGS
Résumé
In this chapter, we advocate a domain specific language (DSL) approach to overcome the difficulties of modeling and simulating morphogenetic processes. A careful discussion of the design goals of a DSL leads to the development of an ex- perimental programming language called MGS. Its declarative approach is based on the notion of topological collection originating from algebraic topology. Topologi- cal collections arise naturally when modeling a "dynamical system with a dynamic structure", or (DS)2, as the state of the system. The evolution function of the system is specified by a transformation, which is a set of rewriting rules where each rule defines a local interaction. We illustrate these notions through different models of the same morphogenetic process: the growth of a T-shaped structure. The objective is to show how a variety of models can be consistently handled within the MGS framework.