TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Page

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S ......... .................................................................................... iii

L IST O F TA B L E S ......... ............................. ......... ... ....... ....... vi

L IST O F F IG U R E S .... ...... ................................................ .. .. ..... .............. vii

ABSTRACT .............. .......................................... ix

CHAPTER

1 IN TR OD U CTION ............................................... .. ......................... ..

 1.1 Swarms ..................................................... ...............1
 1.1.1 Potential and Future of Swarms ..................................... ................1
 1.1.2 B biological B background ....................................................................... ........2
 1.2 M multiple A gents ....................... .............................................. .... ....
 1.2 .1 B asics.................................................. 2
 1.2.2 Applications................................... ........ 3
 1.3 Control Strategies in Self-Organization.................. .......................... 3
 1.3.1 Superiority of D ecentralized Control ........................................ ................3
 1.3.2 D ecentralized Self-O organization ........................................ .....................4
 1.4 G oals and Possible A applications ........................................ ........................ 5
 1.5 O organization of Thesis ................................................. .... .. ................ .5

2 PARTICLE PO TEN TIAL FIELD S ...................................................................... ..... 7

 2.1 Generalized Information Particle Interaction Model............................................7
 2.1.1 Nonparametric Estimation of Renyi's Entropy .........................................8
 2.1.2 Inform ation Particles ............................................................................ 9
 2.2 Robots as Inform ation Particles................................ ......................... ........ 11

3 SELF-ORGANIZATION ALGORITHM .............. .............................................14

 3 .1 L iteratu re S u rv ey .............. .. ... ............................................... .. ................... 14
 3.2 Spreading Algorithm for a Circular Region ............................... ................15
 3.2.1 Threshold E stim ation............................................ ........... ............... 16
 3.2.1.1 Sphere packing problem ........................................ ..................... 16
 3.2.1.2 Empirical estimation of threshold ............................. ...............17
 3.2.2 A lgorithm D details ............................... ................. .......................... 18