Skip to main content

A Smallest Five-State Solution to the Firing Squad Synchronization Problem

  • Conference paper
Machines, Computations, and Universality (MCU 2007)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 4664))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

An existence or non-existence of five-state firing squad synchronization protocol has been a long-standing, famous open problem for a long time. In this paper, we answer partially to this problem by proposing a smallest five-state firing squad synchronization algorithm that can synchronize any one-dimensional cellular array of length n = 2k in 3n − 3 steps for any positive integer k. The number five is the smallest one known at present in the class of synchronization protocols proposed so far.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Balzer, R.: An 8-state minimal time solution to the firing squad synchronization problem. Information and Control 10, 22–42 (1967)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Berthiaume, A., Bittner, T., Perkovic, L., Settle, A., Simin, J.: Bounding the firing squad synchronization problem on a ring. Theoretical Computer Science 320, 213–228 (2004)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Fischer, P.C.: Generation of primes by a one-dimensional real-time iterative array. J. of ACM 12(3), 388–394 (1965)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Gerken, H.-D.: Über Synchronisations - Probleme bei Zellularautomaten. Diplomarbeit, Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, p. 50 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Goto, E.: A minimal time solution of the firing squad problem. Dittoed course notes for Applied Mathematics, vol. 298, pp. 52–59. Harvard University, Cambridge (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mazoyer, J.: A six-state minimal time solution to the firing squad synchronization problem. Theoretical Computer Science 50, 183–238 (1987)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Minsky, M.L.: Computation: Finite and infinite machines, pp. 28–29. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1967)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Moore, E.F.: The firing squad synchronization problem. In: Moore, E.F. (ed.) Sequential Machines, Selected Papers, pp. 213–214. Addison-Wesley, Reading MA (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sanders, P.: Massively parallel search for transition-tables of polyautomata. In: Jesshope, C., Jossifov, V., Wilhelmi, W. (eds.) Proc. of the VI International Workshop on Parallel Processing by Cellular Automata and Arrays, Akademie, pp. 99–108 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Settle, A., Simon, J.: Smaller solutions for the firing squad. Theoretical Computer Science 276, 83–109 (2002)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Umeo, H., Hisaoka, M., Sogabe, T.: A Survey on Firing Squad Synchronization Algorithms for One-Dimensional Cellular Automata. International Journal of Unconventional Computing 1, 403–426 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Umeo, H., Maeda, M., Hongyo, K.: A design of symmetrical six-state 3n-step firing squad synchronization algorithms and their implementations. In: El Yacoubi, S., Chopard, B., Bandini, S. (eds.) ACRI 2006. LNCS, vol. 4173, pp. 157–168. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Vollmar, R.: On cellular automata with a finite number of state changes. Computing, Supplementum 3, 181–191 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Waksman, A.: An optimum solution to the firing squad synchronization problem. Information and Control 9, 66–78 (1966)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  15. Yunès, J.B.: Seven-state solution to the firing squad synchronization problem. Theoretical Computer Science 127, 313–332 (1994)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Jérôme Durand-Lose Maurice Margenstern

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Umeo, H., Yanagihara, T. (2007). A Smallest Five-State Solution to the Firing Squad Synchronization Problem. In: Durand-Lose, J., Margenstern, M. (eds) Machines, Computations, and Universality. MCU 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4664. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74593-8_25

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74593-8_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-74592-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-74593-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics