Algorithm of the Gods

[lugh]

A mathmetical tool that may prove of practical use to some of the bees is to be found at:

http://earth.thesphere.com/SAS/SciAm/1997/SimAneal/SimAneal.html

, you may have to go to

http://earth.thesphere.com/SAS

to access it. It's called the Algorithm of the Gods by it's author, Dr. Shawn Carlson, commonly known as simulated annealing, originally developed by Nicholas Metropolis et al back in 1953. In the Amateur Scientist article in the Scientific American of March of 1997, Dr. Carlson explains the relevant fundementals the algorithm using the example of solution crystal growth since it's more easily understood by the average scientist (annealing is the formation of crystals within metal or glass, a somewhat esoteric process), thus this is also applicable to the growth of large crystals of interest to some of the Hive Bees. The algorithm, written in C, is capable of solving other traveling salesman types of problems.