Related papers: Reducing Tile Complexity for Self-Assembly Through…
Algorithmic self-assembly, a generalization of crystal growth processes, has been proposed as a mechanism for autonomous DNA computation and for bottom-up fabrication of complex nanostructures. A `program' for growing a desired structure…
We prove a negative result on the power of a model of algorithmic self-assembly for which it has been notoriously difficult to find general techniques and results. Specifically, we prove that Winfree's abstract Tile Assembly Model, when…
Working in Winfree's abstract tile assembly model, we show that a constant-size tile assembly system can be programmed through relative tile concentrations to build an n x n square with high probability, for any sufficiently large n. This…
We prove that if a set $X \subseteq \Z^2$ weakly self-assembles at temperature 1 in a deterministic tile assembly system satisfying a natural condition known as \emph{pumpability}, then $X$ is a finite union of semi-doubly periodic sets.…
In the abstract Tile Assembly Model, self-assembling systems consisting of tiles of different colors can form structures on which colored patterns are ``painted.'' We explore the complexity, in terms of the numbers of unique tile types…
Is Winfree's abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM) "powerful?" Well, if certain tiles are required to "cooperate" in order to be able to bind to a growing tile assembly (a.k.a., temperature 2 self-assembly), then Turing universal computation…
We define the Reflexive Tile Assembly Model (RTAM), which is obtained from the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM) by allowing tiles to reflect across their horizontal and/or vertical axes. We show that the class of directed temperature-1…
The connection between self-assembly and computation suggests that a shape can be considered the output of a self-assembly ``program,'' a set of tiles that fit together to create a shape. It seems plausible that the size of the smallest…
We prove that if a subset X of the integer Cartesian plane weakly self-assembles at temperature 1 in a deterministic (Winfree) tile assembly system satisfying a natural condition known as *pumpability*, then X is a finite union of doubly…
In this paper we explore the power of geometry to overcome the limitations of non-cooperative self-assembly. We define a generalization of the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM), such that a tile system consists of a collection of…
We prove the computational weakness of a model of tile assembly that has so far resisted many attempts of formal analysis or positive constructions. Specifically, we prove that, in Winfree's abstract Tile Assembly Model, when restricted to…
In this paper we define the Dupled abstract Tile Assembly Model (DaTAM), which is a slight extension to the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM) that allows for not only the standard square tiles, but also "duple" tiles which are rectangles…
In this paper, we investigate shape-assembling power of a tile-based model of self-assembly called the Signal-Passing Tile Assembly Model (STAM). In this model, the glues that bind tiles together can be turned on and off by the binding…
We show the first asymptotically efficient constructions in the so-called "noncooperative planar tile assembly" model. Algorithmic self-assembly is the study of the local, distributed, asynchronous algorithms ran by molecules to…
Simulated annealing is an effective and general means of optimization. It is in fact inspired by metallurgy, where the temperature of a material determines its behavior in thermodynamics. Likewise, in simulated annealing, the actions that…
The ability to design and synthesize ever more complicated colloidal particles opens the possibility of self-assembling a zoo of complex structures, including those with one or more self-limited length scales. An undesirable feature of…
In this paper we demonstrate the power of a model of tile self-assembly based on active glues which can dynamically change state. We formulate the Signal-passing Tile Assembly Model (STAM), based on the model of Padilla, Liu, and Seeman to…
Self-assembly is a fundamental process by which supramolecular species form spontaneously from their components. This process is ubiquitous throughout the life chemistry and is central to biological information processing. Algorithms for…
Self-assembly is one of the prevalent strategies used by living systems to fabricate ensembles of precision nanometer-scale structures and devices. The push for analogous approaches to create synthetic nanomaterials has led to the…
Sequence-directed assembly processes - such as protein folding - allow the assembly of a large number of structures with high accuracy from only a small handful of fundamental building blocks. We aim to explore how efficiently sequence…