Langton’s Ants

Our world often appears infinitely complex, and yet it is governed by a surprisingly small set of fundamental physical laws. This apparent paradox—simplicity giving rise to complexity—is one of the conceptual roots of the idea of a divine creator. However, the phenomenon of emergence suggests that intricate patterns and behaviours may arise from simple rules without the need for any guiding intelligence.

One striking illustration of this is Langton’s Ant, a mathematical construct belonging to the family of cellular automata. Governed by only a few basic rules, the ‘ant’ traverses a grid and eventually produces elaborate, self-organising patterns, despite the simplicity of its instructions.

Langton’s Ants (2012) takes this principle as its compositional foundation. A small number of simple and clearly identifiable melodic-rhythmic cells are introduced and then subjected to gradual processes of accumulation and transformation. At first, the structure may seem unpredictable or even anarchic. But as the music progresses, a sense of coherence and structural unity emerges, mirroring the behaviour of its scientific namesake.

The work was composed at the request of the distinguished Belgian cellist Didier Poskin, who wished to premiere a new solo work. It is dedicated to him.

The world premiere took place on 9 July 2012 in Briançon, France, followed by the Korean premiere in Seoul on 20 July 2012, both performed by the dedicatee.