Physarum polycephalum, a single-celled, multinucleate slime mould, is a seemingly simple organism, yet it exhibits quasi-intelligent behaviour during extension, foraging, and as it adapts to dynamic environments. For these reasons, Physarum is an attractive target for modelling with the underlying goal to uncover the physiological mechanisms behind the exhibited quasi-intelligence and/or to devise novel algorithms for solving complex computational problems. The recent increase in modelling studies on Physarum has prompted us to review the latest developments in this field in the context of modelling and computing alike. Specifically, we cover models based on (i) morphology, (ii) taxis, and (iii) positive feedback dynamics found in top-down and bottom-up modelling techniques. We also survey the application of each of these core features of Physarum to solving difficult computational problems with real-world applications. Finally, we highlight some open problems in the field and present directions for future research.

中文翻译：

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多头头脑会让您更擅长解决问题吗？基于Physarum的模型和计算的调查。

多头Phys草（Physarum polycephalum）是一种单细胞，多核粘液霉菌，是一种看似简单的生物，但在伸展，觅食过程中表现出准智能的行为，并且能适应动态环境。由于这些原因，Physarum是一个有吸引力的建模对象，其基本目标是揭示所展示的准智能背后的生理机制和/或设计新颖的算法来解决复杂的计算问题。Physarum上建模研究的最新发展促使我们回顾了建模和计算领域中该领域的最新发展。具体而言，我们涵盖基于（i）形态，（ii）滑行和（iii）自顶向下和自底向上建模技术中发现的正反馈动力学的模型。我们还调查了Physarum的每个核心功能在解决实际应用中难以解决的计算问题方面的应用。最后，我们重点介绍了该领域中的一些未解决的问题，并提出了未来研究的方向。