Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Travelling Salesmen and Travelling Bees

The "travelling salesman problem" is a classic mathematical conundrum (about how to optimize a salesman's travel route when visiting several different cities), that mathematicians hunt for an algorithmic solution to.
Perhaps they should consult with bees:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628191339.htm

"Computers solve it by comparing the length of all possible routes and choosing the shortest. However, bees solve simple versions of it without computer assistance using a brain the size of grass seed."

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