Bees are probably using a simple algorithm to solve the travelling salesman problem.

We know that when bees get back to the hive after discovering a new group of flowers, they do a little dance. The length of the dance represents the distance to the group of flowers, and the direction they are pointing indicates the direction to the group of flowers.

The bees could be using a spiral pattern to find the flowers. They would start at the middle group of flowers, and work their way outwards in a spiral pattern. That's just a guess. They could be using some other algorithm.

I doubt they are using an algorithm, though their behavior may mimic one. 

Just like you do not actually solve a calculus problem when someone tosses a ball to you and you catch it.

2 hours ago, IsaacAsimov said:

That's just a guess. 

!

Moderator Note

Do more to support it then. We don't discuss guesswork here, even in Speculations. Find some evidence. This will make discussion meaningful scientifically.

 

Seems to me matter of definition, "using algorithm" in particular.

Question is, who is not using an algorithm?

From wiki:

Quote

The idea of the ant colony algorithm is to mimic this behavior with "simulated ants" walking around the graph representing the problem to solve.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_colony_optimization_algorithms

Edited November 8, 20178 yr by tuco

3 hours ago, swansont said:

I doubt they are using an algorithm, though their behavior may mimic one. 

Just like you do not actually solve a calculus problem when someone tosses a ball to you and you catch it.

That makes sense, Swansont. Thank you for your reply.

5 hours ago, IsaacAsimov said:

Bees are probably using a simple algorithm to solve the travelling salesman problem.

The bees could be using a spiral pattern to find the flowers. They would start at the middle group of flowers, and work their way outwards in a spiral pattern.

If not the spiral pattern, they could be using a zigzag pattern - they could go from left to right down a  row of flowers, then right to left down the next row of flowers, left to right down the next row of flowers, etc.

A good way to find out what pattern they are using is to plot their paths on polar graph paper, which uses (r,theta) notation, where r is the radius and theta is the angle.