The canonical amoebot model: algorithms and concurrency control

The amoebot model abstracts active programmable matter as a collection of simple computational elements called amoebots that interact locally to collectively achieve tasks coordination and movement. Since its introduction at SPAA 2014, growing body literature has adapted assumptions for variety problems; however, without standardized hierarchy assumptions, precise systematic comparison results under the is difficult. We propose canonical model, an updated formalization distinguishes between core features families assumption variants. A key improvement addressed by concurrency. Much existing implicitly assumes actions are isolated reliable, reducing analysis sequential setting where most one time. However, real systems concurrent. formalizes all communication message passing, leveraging adversarial activation models concurrent executions. Under this granular treatment time, we take two complementary approaches algorithm design. first establish set sufficient conditions correctness any execution, embedding concurrency control directly in then present framework uses locks convert algorithms terminate satisfy certain conventions into exhibit equivalent behavior setting. As case study, demonstrate both using hexagon formation. Together, these design open new directions distributed computing research on matter.