An Algorithmic Framework for Shape Formation Problems in Self-Organizing Particle Systems

This material is based on work in progress. Imagine that we had a piece of matter that can change its physical properties like shape, density, conductivity, or color in a programmable fashion based on either user input or autonomous sensing. This is the vision behind what is commonly known as programmable matter. Programmable matter is the subject of many recent novel distributed computing proposals --- ranging from DNA tiles, shape-changing molecules, and synthetic cells, to reconfigurable modular robotics --- each pursuing solutions for specific application scenarios with their own, special capabilities and constraints.