On the Synchronisation Problem over Cellular Automata

Cellular automata are a discrete, synchronous, and uniform dynamical system that give rise to a wide range of dynamical behaviours. In this paper, we investigate whether this system can achieve synchronisation. We study the cases of classical bi-infinite configurations, periodic configurations, and periodic configurations of prime period. In the two former cases, we prove that only a “degenerated” form of synchronisation – there exists a fix-point – is possible. In the latter case, we give an explicit construction of a cellular automaton for which any periodic configuration of prime period eventually converges to cycle of two uniform configurations. Our construction is based upon sophisticated tools: aperiodic NW-deterministic tilings [7] and partitioned intervals [1]. 1998 ACM Subject Classification F.1.1 Models of Computation