MATLAB Implementation of Cellular Automata: Forest Fire Model

Cellular Automaton is a computational model based on discrete time, discrete space, and local interactions. The forest fire model serves as a classic application of cellular automata, simulating fire spread dynamics through simple yet powerful rules.

The model rules include:

1. Burning trees transform into empty cells (implemented as state transition from burning to empty)

2. Green trees become burning trees if any nearest neighbor is burning (requires checking Moore neighborhood using matrix operations)

3. Empty cells grow trees with probability p (implemented through random number generation and probability threshold comparison)

4. Trees ignite with probability f (lightning) at each timestep when no neighbors are burning (requires combined neighborhood check and probabilistic ignition)

These rules play crucial roles in simulating forest fire propagation, helping researchers better understand fire spread patterns and impacts. The implementation typically uses matrix operations for efficient state updates and convolution methods for neighborhood checks. Beyond fire modeling, cellular automata find applications in simulating various phenomena including fluid dynamics, biological systems, and social behavior patterns through similar rule-based approaches.