mathematical biology, optimization, latent representations

Why are trees shaped the way they are? We present a minimal discrete-leaf growth model in which canopy architecture emerges from two local rules: (1) new leaves are placed by a species-specific strategy, and (2) leaves that receive insufficient light die off.

A tree optimizes in two directions simultaneously: upward toward light and downward toward water. The canopy and root system are not independent organs — they are coupled through Liebig's law of the minimum, where the limiting resource bottlenecks the entire organism.

This paper is the underground twin of "Emergent Canopy Architecture from Discrete Leaf Dynamics" (Nagy, 2026).