Detecting Danger: The Dendritic Cell Algorithm

Abstract

The Dendritic Cell Algorithm (DCA) is inspired by the function of the dendritic cells of the human immune system. In nature, dendritic cells are the intrusion detection agents of the human body, policing the tissue and organs for potential invaders in the form of pathogens. In this research, an abstract model of dendritic cell (DC) behavior is developed and subsequently used to form an algorithm-the DCA. The abstraction process was facilitated through close collaboration with laboratory-based immunologists, who performed bespoke experiments, the results of which are used as an integral part of this algorithm. The DCA is a population-based algorithm, with each agent in the system represented ..