What are some good resources on flocking and swarm algorithms?

Question

A while ago I read the novel Prey. Even though it is definitely in the realm of fun science fiction, it piqued my interest in swarm/flock AI. I've been seeing some examples of these demos recently on Reddit such as the Nvidia plane flocking video and Chris Benjaminsen's flocking sandbox (source).

I'm interested in writing some simulation demos involving swarm or flocking AI. I've taken Artificial Intelligence in college but we never approached the subject of simulating swarming/flocking behaviors and a quick flip through my textbook reveals that it isn't discussed.

Flocking Sandbox

What are some solid resources for learning some of the finer points around flock/swarm algorithms? Does anyone have any experience in this field so they could point me in the right direction concerning a well suited AI book or published papers?

Answer 1

Swarm intelligence (SI) is the collective behavior of decentralized, self-organized systems, natural or artificial. The concept is employed in work on artificial intelligence. SI systems consist typically of a population of simple agents or boids(an artificial life program, which simulates the flocking behavior of birds) interacting locally with one another and with their environment. The inspiration often comes from nature, especially biological systems. 

Here are some algorithms that you can refer for SI:

• Particle Swarm Optimization

• Ant System

• Ant Colony System

• Bees Algorithm

• Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm

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