SPECTER LABS

Research Modes

Defines the paper-grounded entrypoints in lenia-swarm.

Implementation detail belongs in PaperGroundedLanes. Config families and canonical entry files are mapped in Config Map.

Registry

ModePaper anchorPublic entrypointConfig familyCurrent scope
Flow tasksFlow-Lenia 2022LeniaCLI discover evolveconfigs/base/, configs/search/, configs/es/task-conditioned optimization
RD validationReaction-Diffusion Lenia 2023LeniaCLI discover rd-2023paper bundle + configs/presets/mathematical validation/emulation
SensorimotorHamon et al. 2024LeniaCLI discover sensorimotor-2024paper bundle + configs/presets/goal-conditioned diversity search
QDLeniaBreeder 2024LeniaCLI discover qd-2024configs/presets/, configs/sweeps/, configs/es/MAP-Elites and AURORA repertoire search
EcologyFlow-Lenia ecology 2025LeniaCLI discover ecology-2025paper bundle + configs/presets/intrinsic-evolution ecology runs
CuriosityAI scientist 2025LeniaCLI discover curiosity-2025paper bundle + configs/presets/curiosity-driven universe exploration
AtlasLenia parameter space 2026LeniaCLI discover atlas-2026paper bundle + configs/presets/classical Lenia atlas runs

Retired user-facing names:

  • leniabreeder-2024
  • flowlenia-ecology-2025
  • ai-scientist-2025

Those names may still appear in config directories and older artifacts because they remain provenance labels.

Shared Rules

  • Paper-specific logic must live above the shared simulator.
  • No research mode may silently change the core Flow-Lenia equations.
  • The invariant guard is LeniaCoreTests.swift, especially testPopulationKernelsMatchSingleKernelPath.
  • Durable run outputs should go to SPECTER_ARTIFACT_ROOT when set; otherwise the mode writes to the explicit --output path.
  • Contract changes to run outputs must remain deterministic and rerunnable from captured configs.

Mode Surfaces

Flow tasks

Entrypoint:

  • LeniaCLI discover evolve --config <task.json> --es <optimizer.json> --output <dir>

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • history.jsonl
  • task-specific run artifacts captured by evolve

Notes:

  • This mode is for explicit objectives such as directed motion, angular motion, obstacle navigation, and chemotaxis.
  • It is not a repertoire builder and it is not a compendium writer.

RD validation

Entrypoint:

  • LeniaCLI discover rd-2023 --config-dir <dir> --output <dir>

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • validation/emulation reports written by the mode

Notes:

  • This mode is a validator.
  • It is not a discovery lane and it does not write compendium rows.

Sensorimotor

Entrypoint:

  • LeniaCLI discover sensorimotor-2024 --config-dir <dir> --output <dir>

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • history.jsonl
  • archive/evaluation artifacts written by the mode

Notes:

  • This mode implements the 2024 agency-discovery protocol.
  • It is archive-based, not compendium-indexed.

QD

Entrypoints:

  • LeniaCLI discover qd-2024 --config-dir <dir> --algorithm me --output <dir>
  • LeniaCLI discover qd-2024 --config-dir <dir> --algorithm aurora --output <dir>
  • LeniaCLI discover qd-2024 --distributed --algorithm me ...

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • history.jsonl
  • metrics.csv
  • best.json
  • repertoire/centroids.json
  • repertoire/occupied.json

Additional outputs:

  • aurora-diagnostics.jsonl for AURORA
  • distributed.json for distributed MAP-Elites

Notes:

  • qd-2024 writes repertoire artifacts, not run-library exports.
  • qd-2024 is not auto-indexed into compendium.sqlite.
  • There is currently no built-in bridge from qd-2024 outputs to:
    • compendium indexing
    • taxonomy assignment
    • ecology export
    • morphometrics thresholding
  • Distributed support currently exists for --algorithm me only.

Ecology

Entrypoint:

  • LeniaCLI discover ecology-2025 --config-dir <dir> --output <dir>

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • ecology metrics/artifacts written by the mode

Notes:

  • This mode studies long-run ecosystem dynamics.
  • It is separate from the compendium/indexer pipeline.

Curiosity

Entrypoint:

  • LeniaCLI discover curiosity-2025 --config-dir <dir> --output <dir>

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • archive/coverage artifacts written by the mode

Notes:

  • This mode is system-level exploration, not per-creature indexing.

Atlas

Entrypoint:

  • LeniaCLI discover atlas-2026 --config-dir <dir> --output <dir>

Primary outputs:

  • summary.json
  • data/phases/*.json
  • data/kernels/**/mu_*/sigma_*.json

Notes:

  • This mode maps classical parameter space.
  • It does not auto-populate the compendium.

Compendium Boundary

The compendium remains the indexed database produced by LeniaCLI index ingest.

Relevant docs:

Current writer-of-record surfaces:

  • LeniaCLI index ingest
  • LeniaCLI discover local when auto-indexing is enabled

Research modes do not become compendium-visible unless they emit an artifact layout that the indexer understands and are then indexed explicitly.

Current status by mode:

ModeAuto-indexes into compendiumEmits indexer-ready library/export bundles
Flow tasksNoNo
RD validationNoNo
SensorimotorNoNo
QDNoNo
EcologyNoNo
CuriosityNoNo
AtlasNoNo

Apple Silicon Note

These modes are intended to run on the MLX/Metal path on Apple Silicon.

Current performance facts that affect the contract:

  • batched evaluation is the default expectation for the heavy modes,
  • qd-2024 has local and distributed MAP-Elites paths,
  • reintegrationBatched remains the main custom-kernel candidate if another major speed step is needed.

Papers