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Welcome to the self-assembly group wiki. The purpose of this website is to serve as a common repository for papers and articles in the field of algorithmic self-assembly, as well as a technically oriented, easy to use wiki about self-assembly topics. Researchers in the area are invited and encouraged to contribute content including wiki articles, papers, and software. Please email mpatitz@self-assembly.net if you are interested in contributing.

What is self-assembly?

Self-assembly is the process during which a collection of relatively simple components, starting in a disorganized state, autonomously combine into a more complex structure. During self-assembly, there is no external guidance or direction, and the self-assembling components experience only local interactions and typically obey a simple set of rules that govern how they combine.

Self-assembling systems abound in nature, and include the formation of everything from snowflakes, to biological structures (such as viruses), to galaxies.

Snowflake
Image courtesy of SnowCrystals.com
T4 bacteriophage
Image courtesy of NSF.gov
Spiral galaxy
Image courtesy of hubblesite.org

Getting started