Self-assembly of infinite structures: a survey (Q616502)

In this paper some recent results related to the self-assembly of infinite structures in Winfree's abstract tile assembly model (TAM) in the two-dimensional Euclidean space \({\mathbb{Z}}^{2}\) are surveyed. These results include impossibility results, as well as the construction of novel tile assembly systems that produce computationally interesting shapes and patterns. This can help to explore how fundamental aspects of the TAM, such as the inability of spatial locations to be reused and their immutability, affect and limit the constructions and computations that are achievable. Several open questions are also presented and motivated.