Fundamental Molecular Communication Modelling

Abstract

As traditional communication technology we use in our day-to-day life reaches its limitations, the international community searches for new methods to communicate information. One such novel approach is the so-called molecular communication system. During the last few decades, molecular communication systems become more and more popular. The main difference between traditional communication and molecular communication systems is that in the latter, information transfer occurs through chemical means, most often between microorganisms. This process already happens all around us naturally, for example, in the human body. Even though the molecular communication topic is attractive to researchers, and a lot of theoretical results are available - one cannot claim the same about the practical use of molecular communication. As for experimental results, a few studies have been done on the macroscale, but investigations at the micro- and nanoscale ranges are still lacking because they are a challenging task. In this work, a self-contained introduction of the underlying theory of molecular communication is provided, which includes knowledge from different areas such as biology, chemistry, communication theory, and applied mathematics. Two numerical methods are implemented for three well-studied partial differential equations of the MC field where advection, diffusion, and the reaction are taken into account. Numerical results for test cases in one and three dimensions are presented and discussed in detail. Conclusions and essential analytical and numerical future directions are then drawn.