ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → Biology

Ants follow Fermat’s principle of least time

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
April 2, 2013
in Biology, Physics
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

If you know your physics (or optics, to be more specific), you’ve probably heard a lot about Fermat’s principle (or the principle of least time). Basically, what it states is that the path taken between two points by a ray of light is the path that can be traversed in the least time. A ray of light will always travel from A to B on the path which takes the least time, or other put, it will follow the fastest, not shortest path. Ok, so where do ants come in?

ant1

Well, apparently, ants follow Fermat’s principle as well. This is an issue when ants are forced to travel on two different surfaces, where they walk faster on one than the other. As this new study showed, in this kind of situation ants behave… just like light does.

Jan Oettler and his team, which included members from China, Germany and France compared the paths ants follow compared to those followed by ligh in the same conditions. The scientists experimentally studied the behavior of the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, one of the world’s 100 most invasive species.

They took several colonies of ants, put them in boxes and placed food in the corner opposite from the entrance. The surface of each foraging arena was split in half, and each half was covered by a different material; here, researchers used several different materials which differently affected the ants’ movement speed: rough polyester felt (1.73 mm/s), smooth polyester felt (2.97 mm/s), and polyethylene glass (4.89 mm/s).

ant2

So given the geometry of the setting and the ants’ movement speeds on the different materials, they handily calculated the trajectory which they would follow if they acted according to the Fermat principle. The researchers found that the ants’ paths closely matched those predicted – and the ants knew way better than taking the shortest path.

RelatedPosts

Fastest ant in the world lives in the Sahara and it runs for dear life — at around 85 cm per second
A boy’s backyard discovery two years ago uncovered an incredibly intricate insect-plant interaction
Voracious Plant Outsmarts Ants Even Without a Brain
Ants surprisingly agile even in microgravity, ISS experiment shows

“We found that a general rule applies to a dynamic system that relies solely on communication (pheromones) and social cooperation,” Oettler told Phys.org. “This system depends on two features. One is routing information that decays over time and needs to be refreshed, thus making the system flexible. And second on behavioral flexibility by the worker ants that carry this information. A path can only be adjusted by worker ants that do not follow this path, but rather take alternative routes (that they advertise), which may be faster (or slower) than the already established path.”

Researchers note that humans also follow Fermat’s principle – the most notable example being a lifeguard, that instinctively follows the shortest beach + water path to reach the drowning swimmer. But this is only the first step in a complex journey, which aims to understand the complex processes which govern ant movements in different conditions.

“We have only shown the outcome of this process,” Oettler said. “In the future we want to study the dynamics of the trail pheromones, their active compounds and evaporation rates. We want to perform behavioral tests with synthetic compounds and detect perception thresholds of individual ants. We also want to study the early dynamics of trail formation over time.”

Read the full article here

Tags: antfermatfermat principle

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

News

Scientists made “ant yogurt”, recreating an ancient forgotten technique

byMihai Andrei
9 months ago
Genetics

Ants discovered agriculture 66 million years ago

byMihai Andrei
9 months ago
AntWeb.org image of Order:Hymenoptera Family:Formicidae Genus:Cataglyphis Species:Cataglyphis bicolor Specimen:casent0104612 View:profile
Biology

Scientists uncover the internal magnetic compass of ants

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago
Animals

Tiny ants are sending ripples through African ecosystems, changing how lions hunt

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago

Recent news

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet ‘Sea Monster’ That’s Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

June 30, 2025
great white shark

This Shark Expert Has Spent Decades Studying Attacks and Says We’ve Been Afraid for the Wrong Reasons

June 30, 2025

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

June 30, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.