A revised model of fluid transport optimization in Physarum polycephalum

Abstract

Optimization of fluid transport in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum has been the subject of several modeling efforts in recent literature. Existing models assume that the tube adaptation mechanism in P. polycephalum's tubular network is controlled by the sheer amount of fluid flow through the tubes. We put forward the hypothesis that the controlling variable may instead be the flow's pressure gradient along the tube. We carry out the stability analysis of such a revised mathematical model for a parallel-edge network, proving that the revised model supports the global flow-optimizing behavior of the slime mold for a substantially wider class of response functions compared to previous models. Simulations also suggest that the same conclusion may be valid for arbitrary network topologies.