Methods to Exploit Noise in the Design of Complex Systems

Since biological organisms have evolved in a noisy environment, it is likely that they have intricate mechanisms in place to deal with noise, and even to exploit it. Engineers can learn much from biology, and to this end we briefly review some methods in which noise can be used in systems in an advantageous way. Among these methods are: stochastic search, encoding and transmission of information by noise, stochastic resonance, fluctuation-enhanced sensing, and synchronization through noise. This paper gives some examples in which these mechanisms are expected to improve the efficiency of engineered systems

Methods to Exploit Noise in the Design of Complex Systems Conference Paper