Kagi search has this to say about the difference between differential growth and L-systems (plot spoiler: l-systems are maths-based and address mostly branching phenomena, differential growth is derived from the fact that within a single organism growth rate is uneven):
One of the things that attracted me to 3D was Maya’s magnificent paint effects system, which is lsystem-based. This was begging to be spun off as a separate product.
My bad. I did not know that. Won’t make that mistake again. Pasting below the key info.
Differential Growth and L-systems are both concepts used in modeling biological growth, particularly in plants, but they approach the subject from different angles.
Differential Growth
Definition: Differential growth refers to the varying rates of growth in different parts of an organism, leading to shape formation and structural changes. This concept is crucial in understanding how plants adapt their forms in response to environmental stimuli (like light and gravity) and internal signals (like hormones).
Mechanism: It involves the controlled distribution of growth factors and varying growth rates among different tissues. For example, in plants, differential growth can lead to bending or twisting of stems and leaves, as seen in the formation of the apical hook during germination12.
Applications: This concept is used in various fields, including biology, architecture, and design, to create models that simulate how structures grow and change over time3.
L-systems (Lindenmayer Systems)
Definition: L-systems are a mathematical formalism introduced by Aristid Lindenmayer in 1968 for modeling the growth processes of plants. They use a set of rules (productions) to rewrite strings of symbols, which can represent different parts of a plant.
Mechanism: An L-system starts with an initial string (axiom) and applies production rules to generate new strings iteratively. These strings can be interpreted graphically to create complex plant structures. L-systems can be context-free or context-sensitive, allowing for a wide variety of growth patterns45.
Applications: L-systems are widely used in computer graphics for simulating plant growth, generating fractals, and even in architectural design6.
Differential L-systems
Integration: Recent developments have combined differential growth principles with L-systems, known as differential L-systems. This approach allows for more realistic simulations of plant growth by incorporating the effects of differential growth rates into the L-system framework78.
Functionality: In differential L-systems, the growth rules can depend on local conditions, such as the density of neighboring structures or external environmental factors, enhancing the realism of the generated models46.
Summary
Differential Growth focuses on how different parts of an organism grow at different rates due to various factors, leading to complex shapes.
L-systems provide a rule-based framework for simulating plant growth through string rewriting.
The combination of both concepts in differential L-systems allows for advanced modeling that captures both the structural complexity and the dynamic nature of biological growth.
References
[1] Differential growth and shape formation in plant organs www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[2] A Model of Differential Growth-Guided Apical Hook Formation in Plants www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Please don't litter HN with LLM generated slop, there's more than enough of it out there as is. The value of HN is the human discussion. I'm sure each and every one of us is capable of writing a question in an input if they please. Some sides of the internet are already dead, with LLMs chatting with other bots, let's not make HN that place.
Thank you I know what l systems are. A Semi-Thue grammar which is not really a Chomsky grammar - the way the production rules are applied differs. They are after the name of famous biologist called Lindenmayer, thus the name. I’ve been teaching these.
Now my question was - is this an L-system or another one. Not what are L-systems which are. As far as I get from your reply, the plug-in does not facilitate. Thanks.
