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

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 -calculus,, is undertaken. This calculus is based upon the -calculus, a formalism whose foundation is interaction, rather than function. The -calculus, its relationship to biology, as well as future directions for this new formalism are examined. Introduction and Statement of the Problem In modeling biological systems, there is a spectrum of complexity that dictates the nature of the