Fusion: A general framework for hierarchical tilings

Abstract: One well studied way to construct quasicrystalline tilings is via inflate-and-subdivide (a.k.a. substitution) rules. These produce self-similar tilings--the Penrose, octagonal, and pinwheel tilings are famous examples. We present a different model for generating hierarchical tilings we call "fusion rules". Inflate-and-subdivide rules are a special case of fusion rules, but general fusion rules are more flexible and allow for defects, changes in geometry, and even constrained randomness. A condition that produces homogeneous structures and a method for computing frequency for fusion tiling spaces are discussed.