Title:Oral: Hyperoptimization insight for computational morphogenesis*

The nonlinear relationship between the form and function of physical structures in our built environment raises challenges for design. Modern design methods, such as topology optimization, provide structural solutions but obscure the relationship between the form of the solution and the formulation of the underlying design problem. Here, we show how to extend classical molecular dynamics methods to provide novel forms of insight into the origin and organization of design features in morphogenesis problems. Our computational approach to morphogenesis implements a version of the digital alchemy methods that were introduced to solve inverse-design problems for self-assembled materials. The framework we present here for problems in morphogenesis surmounts known design problems including grayscale ambiguity, manufacturing inaccuracy, and artificially over-specified criteria. Our results give examples where molecular methodologies can be used to derive results for macroscopic systems.