Solving the subset sum problem with a nonideal biological computer

Abstract

We consider the solution of the subset sum problem based on a parallel computer consisting of self-propelled biological agents moving in a nanostructured network that encodes the NP-complete task in its geometry. We develop an approximate analytical method to analyze the effects of small errors in the nonideal junctions composing the computing network by using a Gaussian confidence interval approximation of the multinomial distribution. We concretely evaluate the probability distribution for error-induced paths and determine the minimal number of agents required to obtain a proper solution. We finally validate our theoretical results with exact numerical simulations of the subset sum problem for different set sizes and error probabilities.