Bees' tiny brains able to beat computers at complex mathematical problems


The tiny insects learn to fly the shortest possible route between flowers discovered in random order.

Effectively, they are capable of solving the 'travelling salesman problem' - unlike any other animal known besides humans, say scientists.

Bees are able to calculate the shortest distance

Bees are able to calculate the shortest distance to a number of different flowers




Dr Nigel Raine, from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: 'Foraging bees solve travelling salesman problems every day. They visit flowers at multiple locations and, because bees use lots of energy to fly, they find a route which keeps flying to a minimum.'

Dr Raine's team used computer-controlled artificial flowers to test bee behaviour.

The researchers wanted to know whether bees would follow a simple route defined by the order in which they found the flowers, or look for the shortest route.




Learning how bees solve the travelling salesman problem with such a tiny brain may lead to simple ways of managing these everyday connections.

'Despite their tiny brains bees are capable of extraordinary feats of behaviour,' said Dr Raine. 'We need to understand how they can solve the travelling salesman problem without a computer. What short cuts do they use?'