1. Checkpoint PowerPoint Fall Quarter 2007 COM SCI 194 Honors Research Professor Amit Sahai Alexander Liu and Eric Chang

2. Project Progress Using Java, we have finished coding what will be our software framework. We have been able to run scaled-down simulations on the framework. As of this moment, within the virtual Petri dish small numbers of creatures are moving around, eating and breeding.

3. Simulation Snapshot In this example screenshot, the simulation began with ten locations and four progenitor creatures, numbered 1-4. After twenty iterations, descendants of the fourth creature are visibly plentiful (they can be identified as 41, 411, 4200, etc; each additional digit denotes a subsequent generation). Its success in this case is due to a more aggressive “energy policy” rather than a different reproductive strategy. While the number of locations and creatures are small at this point, scaling and behavioral complexity would not be difficult as the program is already built with that in mind.

4. Achievement Assessment Fall Quarter end: Have a working software framework within which we could implement our experiments. This framework may have to be modified further on as fit as we proceed. Winter Quarter mid: Have at least the core experiments up and running within the software model. Given unsatisfactory results, revise (and rebuild) as needed. Otherwise, expand upon existing project ideas in new directions. Winter Quarter end: Ideally, have concrete, satisfactory results with the core experiments. The software should be in its final stages and able to simulate the experiments. Overall we can say that we met the goal we set for ourselves for this quarter. With our virtual Petri dish up and running, we have a framework with which we can proceed. Although specific experiments have not yet been implemented, the program has the capacity to handle them. Our assessment is good in that we are fully on track, but obviously much remains to be done, and the plan is to stay the course by hitting the ground running next quarter.