Memetic Computing

Memetic computation is a paradigm that uses the notion of meme(s) as units of information encoded in computational representations for the purpose of problem-solving. It covers a plethora of potentially rich meme-inspired computing methodologies, frameworks and operational algorithms including simple hybrids, adaptive hybrids and memetic automaton.

As with genes in genetics, a meme is synonymous to memetics as being a building block of cultural know-how that is transmissible and replicable. While genes form the “instructions for building proteins,” memes are “instructions for carrying out behavior, stored in brains (or other objects)” and passed on by means such as imitation. The term meme can be traced back to Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene. The term has inspired the new science of memetics which today represents the mind-universe analog to genetics in cultural evolution, stretching across the fields of anthropology, biology, cognition, psychology, sociology and socio-biology. In computer science and engineering, the meme-inspired computing methodology or more concisely memetic computation has become an increasing focus of research in recent years.