We introduce a class of dynamical systems called Higher Order Cellular Automata (HOCA). These are based on ordinary CA, but have a hierarchical, or multi-level, structure and/or dynamics. We present a detailed formalism for HOCA and illustrate the concepts through four examples. Throughout the article we emphasize the principles and ideas behind the construction of HOCA, such that these easily can be applied to other types of dynamical systems. The article also presents new concepts and ideas for describing and studying hierarchial dynamics in general.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.