UNIT-4
Immunocomputing
The Immune System, Artificial Immune Systems, Bone Marrow Models, Negative Selection
Algorithms, Clonal Selection and Affinity Maturation, Artificial Immune Networks, Form
Natural to Artificial Immune Systems, Scope of Artificial Immune Systems.
INTRO
Immunocomputing is a type of nature-inspired computing that is inspired by the human
immune system. Computers use similar ideas to detect problems and solve them.
Key Ideas:
1. Inspired by Nature:
o The human immune system detects harmful viruses or bacteria and reacts to
fight them.
o It remembers past infections to respond faster next time.
2. How Computers Use It:
o Computers or programs act like “immune cells” to detect anomalies (like
errors, viruses, or network intrusions).
o They learn from past problems to improve future detection.
o The system adapts and becomes smarter over time.
3. Applications:
o Computer security (detecting viruses or attacks).
o Fault detection in machines or networks.
o Optimization problems (finding good solutions using immune system
strategies).
In short:
Immunocomputing is about computers mimicking the immune system to detect, adapt, and
solve problems efficiently, just like your body fights off infections.
The Immune System
In nature-inspired computing, the immune system inspires ways for computers to detect,
learn, and adapt—just like your body fights diseases.
Key Ideas:
1. Inspired by the Human Immune System:
o The immune system recognizes harmful invaders (like viruses or bacteria).
o It remembers past invaders to respond faster next time.
o It adapts to new threats.
2. How Computers Use It:
o Programs act like “immune cells” that detect anomalies (like viruses, errors,
or network attacks).
o They learn from previous problems to improve detection in the future.
o The system adapts and improves over time.
3. Applications:
o Cybersecurity: Detecting malware or attacks.
o Fault detection: Finding problems in machines or networks.
o Optimization: Solving problems by mimicking immune responses.
In short:
The immune system in nature-inspired computing is about detection, learning, and
adaptation, just like your body protects you from diseases.
Artificial Immune Systems
Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) are a type of nature-inspired computing that mimics the
human immune system to solve problems in computers.
Key Ideas:
1. Inspired by the Immune System:
o Your immune system detects harmful invaders (viruses, bacteria).
o It remembers past infections to respond faster next time.
o It adapts to new threats.
2. How AIS Works in Computing:
o Artificial “immune cells” detect anomalies or problems in data or systems.
o AIS learns from past problems to improve future detection.
o It adapts over time, becoming more efficient at solving problems.
3. Applications:
o Cybersecurity: Detecting viruses, malware, or intrusions.
o Fault detection: Finding errors in machines or networks.
o Optimization problems: Finding good solutions using immune system
strategies.
In short:
AIS is about computers copying the immune system’s detection, learning, and adaptation,
making them smart at spotting problems and improving over time.
Bone Marrow Models
Bone Marrow Models in nature-inspired computing are inspired by the bone
marrow in the human body, which produces immune cells that fight infections. Computers
use this idea to generate solutions and adapt to problems.
Key Ideas:
1. Inspired by Bone Marrow:
o Bone marrow produces new blood cells, including immune cells.
o These cells learn to detect harmful invaders and adapt over time.
2. How Computers Use It:
o Computer algorithms generate many candidate solutions, like bone marrow
producing many immune cells.
o They select and improve the best solutions, similar to how the immune
system strengthens effective cells.
o The system adapts over time to handle new problems.
3. Applications:
o Optimization problems (finding the best solutions).
o Anomaly detection in networks or machines.
o Adaptive learning systems that improve with experience.
In short:
Bone marrow models are about generating, selecting, and adapting solutions,
inspired by how bone marrow produces immune cells to protect the body.
Negative Selection Algorithms
Negative Selection Algorithms are a type of nature-inspired computing based on
how the human immune system avoids attacking the body’s own cells.
Key Ideas:
1. Inspired by the Immune System:
o Your immune system learns to attack harmful invaders but ignore your own
cells.
o This helps prevent autoimmune problems.
2. How Computers Use It:
o Algorithms generate detectors (like immune cells) that recognize “non-self”
problems (like viruses, errors, or anomalies).
o Detectors ignore normal patterns (“self”) and focus on detecting unusual or
harmful patterns (“non-self”).
o Over time, the system detects anomalies efficiently.
3. Applications:
o Cybersecurity: Detecting intrusions or malware.
o Fault detection: Finding unusual events in machines or networks.
o Anomaly detection in data or processes.
In short:
Negative Selection Algorithms are about detecting problems by ignoring normal
behaviour and focusing only on anomalies, just like the immune system avoids attacking
your own body.
Clonal Selection and Affinity Maturation
Clonal Selection and Affinity Maturation are concepts in nature-inspired computing
inspired by the human immune system. They help computers learn, adapt, and improve
solutions over time.
1. Clonal Selection:
• In the immune system, when a cell recognizes a harmful invader, it makes many
copies (clones) of itself.
• In computing:
o The algorithm selects the best solutions from many candidates.
o It duplicates and slightly changes them to explore better solutions.
2. Affinity Maturation:
• In the immune system, cloned cells improve over time to better recognize invaders.
• In computing:
o The cloned solutions get refined or mutated to become even better.
o Over several iterations, the algorithm finds highly effective solutions.
3. Applications:
• Optimization problems (finding the best solution).
• Pattern recognition (like detecting anomalies).
• Adaptive systems that improve automatically.
In short:
Clonal selection + affinity maturation = select the best solutions, clone them, and improve
them iteratively, just like your immune system learns to fight infections better over time.
Artificial Immune Networks
Artificial Immune Networks (AIN) are a part of nature-inspired computing, inspired by how
the immune system cells interact with each other to recognize invaders and adapt over
time.
Key Ideas:
1. Inspired by the Immune System:
o In your body, immune cells communicate to detect harmful pathogens.
o They form networks to recognize patterns and remember threats.
2. How Computers Use It:
o Artificial immune cells form a network of solutions.
o They interact and share information about which solutions are good or bad.
o Over time, the network adapts and improves, focusing on the best solutions.
3. Applications:
o Pattern recognition (like detecting anomalies or fraud).
o Optimization problems (finding the best solutions).
o Adaptive learning systems that improve with experience.
In short:
Artificial Immune Networks are about creating networks of interacting solutions that adapt
and improve over time, just like the immune system works as a network to protect your
body.
From Natural to Artificial Immune Systems
Natural Immune System (NIS)
• The natural immune system is your body’s defense system.
• It detects and fights “foreign invaders” like viruses, bacteria, or harmful cells.
• Key features:
1. Recognition – Can tell what is self (your body) vs non-self (invaders).
2. Learning & Memory – Remembers past infections to respond faster next
time.
3. Adaptation – Improves over time (e.g., antibodies get stronger).
• It’s distributed and autonomous: lots of cells work independently but
collaboratively.
From Natural to Artificial
• Scientists and engineers study the immune system to solve computing problems.
• They take the principles of NIS (like detection, adaptation, memory) and turn them
into Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) in computers.
Artificial Immune System (AIS)
• AIS is a computer algorithm inspired by the natural immune system.
• It is used for things like:
1. Anomaly detection – spotting unusual patterns (like network attacks).
2. Optimization – finding the best solution in complex problems.
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3. based on feedback.
• Key concepts in AIS:
o Negative selection → like NIS avoids attacking self, AIS avoids false alarms.
o Clonal selection → “strong detectors” are copied and improved.
o Immune networks → detectors interact and learn from each other.
In short:
We observe how our body’s immune system works and design algorithms that mimic its
abilities to detect, adapt, and learn in computers.
Scope of Artificial Immune Systems (AIS)
AIS is inspired by how our natural immune system works, and it’s used in computing to solve
real-world problems. Its scope is basically all the areas where we need detection, learning,
adaptation, and optimization.
1. Anomaly & Intrusion Detection
• AIS can detect unusual patterns in systems.
• Example: spotting network attacks, fraud, or faulty sensors.
• Idea: Just like your immune system finds germs, AIS finds problems in data.
2. Optimization Problems
• AIS can search for the best solution in complex problems.
• Example: designing efficient routes, schedules, or resource allocation.
• Idea: Similar to how immune cells adapt and improve their response over time.
3. Classification & Pattern Recognition
• AIS can classify data or recognize patterns automatically.
• Example: Spam detection, image recognition, medical diagnosis.
4. Robotics & Control Systems
• AIS helps robots adapt to changing environments.
• Example: autonomous robots learning and avoiding obstacles.
5. Learning & Memory Systems
• AIS can remember previous patterns and improve future performance.
• Example: Recommendation systems that learn user behavior over time.
In short:
AIS is used wherever computers need to detect, adapt, learn, or optimize, just like our
immune system does in nature.
