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Artificial Immune Systems (0910.4899v1)

Published 26 Oct 2009 in cs.AI and cs.NE

Abstract: The biological immune system is a robust, complex, adaptive system that defends the body from foreign pathogens. It is able to categorize all cells (or molecules) within the body as self-cells or non-self cells. It does this with the help of a distributed task force that has the intelligence to take action from a local and also a global perspective using its network of chemical messengers for communication. There are two major branches of the immune system. The innate immune system is an unchanging mechanism that detects and destroys certain invading organisms, whilst the adaptive immune system responds to previously unknown foreign cells and builds a response to them that can remain in the body over a long period of time. This remarkable information processing biological system has caught the attention of computer science in recent years. A novel computational intelligence technique, inspired by immunology, has emerged, called Artificial Immune Systems. Several concepts from the immune have been extracted and applied for solution to real world science and engineering problems. In this tutorial, we briefly describe the immune system metaphors that are relevant to existing Artificial Immune Systems methods. We will then show illustrative real-world problems suitable for Artificial Immune Systems and give a step-by-step algorithm walkthrough for one such problem. A comparison of the Artificial Immune Systems to other well-known algorithms, areas for future work, tips & tricks and a list of resources will round this tutorial off. It should be noted that as Artificial Immune Systems is still a young and evolving field, there is not yet a fixed algorithm template and hence actual implementations might differ somewhat from time to time and from those examples given here.

Citations (834)

Summary

  • The paper presents AIS as adaptive computational paradigms that mimic human immune processes like clonal and negative selection.
  • It demonstrates robust applications in intrusion detection and data mining by dynamically identifying novel patterns.
  • The paper compares AIS with genetic algorithms and neural networks, emphasizing its unique distributed control and memory-based learning.

Overview of "Artificial Immune Systems" Chapter

The chapter titled "Artificial Immune Systems," authored by U. Aickelin and D. Dasgupta, forms part of a comprehensive anthology on search methodologies, focusing on optimization and decision support techniques. This chapter provides an in-depth discourse on Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), drawing robust analogies from the human immune system, and elucidating its computational relevance and application in various domains.

Background and Biomedical Inspiration

The human immune system's complexity, adaptability, and distributed nature serve as the foundation for AIS. The authors describe two critical branches of the immune system: the innate and adaptive immune systems, each contributing a layer of defense against pathogens. Key immune features such as matching, diversity, and distributed control are highlighted as essential components for the development of AIS.

Computational Paradigm

AIS are described as a novel computational intelligence technique derived from immunology. Unlike static algorithms, AIS adapt and learn dynamically from their environment. The chapter reviews several core concepts borrowed from immunology, including immune network theory, negative selection, and clonal selection principles, detailing their computational translations.

Immune Network Theory

The immune network theory, proposed by Jerne (1974), introduces the concept of idiotypic networks wherein antibodies are both recognized and suppressed based on affinity thresholds. This interconnected stimulation and suppression maintain the stability of the immune response, an idea leveraged in AIS to maintain diversity and adaptability in solutions.

Negative Selection

Negative selection in AIS mimics the immune system's ability to distinguish between self and non-self. T-cells undergo a selection process where self-reactive cells are eliminated, ensuring only those responsive to non-self antigens circulate. This principle is employed in AIS to detect anomalies or intrusions in data by eliminating detectors that match 'self' profiles.

Clonal Selection

The clonal selection principle underlines the adaptive nature of the immune response, wherein only cells recognizing antigens proliferate. This principle fosters diversity through somatic hypermutation, producing a repertoire of antibodies adept at targeting various antigens. In AIS, clonal selection mechanisms ensure that high-affinity solutions proliferate and explore the solution space effectively.

Practical Applications

The chapter outlines specific, illustrative applications where AIS can be beneficial, notably in intrusion detection systems (IDS) and data mining.

Intrusion Detection Systems

AIS-based IDS take inspiration from the immune system's adaptive nature to identify and respond to unauthorized access patterns dynamically. The chapter discusses how traditional IDS methodologies are enhanced by incorporating AIS, which not only analyzes known attack signatures but can also adaptively detect novel intrusions.

Data Mining and Collaborative Filtering

AIS methodologies are tailored for data mining tasks such as collaborative filtering and clustering. For example, in recommender systems, AIS can manage user profiles and dynamically adjust recommendations based on evolving user preferences, much like how the immune system adapts to new pathogens.

Comparison with Genetic Algorithms and Neural Networks

A succinct comparison of AIS with Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Neural Networks (NN) highlights the distinctive features and niches of each approach. While GAs focus on evolution and fitness optimization and NNs on structure and learning from data, AIS uniquely integrates distributed computation, memory-based learning, and dynamic adaptation, positioning it as a versatile tool for diverse problem domains.

Future Directions and Extensions

The chapter speculates on further extensions and enhancements of AIS, such as incorating idiotypic networks for improved diversity and adopting Danger Theory for more complex, grounded responses in IDS. Danger Theory, which prioritizes responses to 'danger' rather than 'non-self', promises to refine and sophisticate AIS approaches further.

Conclusion

The review concludes that AIS embody a robust and flexible computational paradigm, capable of leveraging the adaptive and self-organizing principles inherent in biological immune systems. Practical and theoretical implications span across various domains, such as cybersecurity and personalized recommendations, with ongoing research expected to refine and expand the capabilities of AIS.

Additional Resources

To explore AIS, the authors suggest several key resources, including authoritative texts and proceedings from conferences on the topic. The bibliography provided offers a detailed compendium for further academic exploration and application development in this innovative field.