Algorithmic Foundations of Programmable Matter (Dagstuhl Seminar 18331)

This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 18331,"Algorithmic Foundations of Programmable Matter", a new and emerging field that combines theoretical work on algorithms with a wide spectrum of practical applications that reach all the way from small-scale embedded systems to cyber-physical structures at nano-scale. The aim of this seminar was to bring together researchers from computational geometry, distributed computing, DNA computing, and swarm robotics who have worked on programmable matter to inform one another about the newest developments in each area and to discuss future models, approaches, and directions for new research. Similar to the first Dagstuhl seminar on programmable matter (16271), we did focus on some basic problems, but also considered new problems that were now within reach to be studied. During this seminar, we were able to achieve a previously unmatched level of intensity of collaboration, in part due to using a new electronic and interactive web-based platform. This has also allowed for continued research among the attendees based on the work begun during the seminar.