Conway’s Game of Life

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Life Lexicon

P3 bumper

A variant of Tanner Jacobi's bumper found by Arie Paap in April 2018. Two forms of the period 3 oscillator catalyst are shown below.

Game of Life pattern ’p3_bumper_(1)’

For bounding box optimization purposes, it's also possible to replace the eater1 in a p3, p6 or p9 bumper with another period 3 oscillator, saving one row along the south edge at the cost of a higher population.

Game of Life pattern ’p3_bumper_(2)’

The repeat time for all these variants is 36 ticks, as shown.

Game of Life Explanation

The Game of Life is not your typical computer game. It is a cellular automaton, and was invented by Cambridge mathematician John Conway.

This game became widely known when it was mentioned in an article published by Scientific American in 1970. It consists of a grid of cells which, based on a few mathematical rules, can live, die or multiply. Depending on the initial conditions, the cells form various patterns throughout the course of the game.

Rules

For a space that is populated:
Examples

Each cell with one or no neighbors dies, as if by solitude.

Each cell with four or more neighbors dies, as if by overpopulation.

Each cell with two or three neighbors survives.

For a space that is empty or unpopulated:

Each cell with three neighbors becomes populated.

More information

Video’s about the Game of Life

Stephen Hawkings The Meaning of Life (John Conway's Game of Life segment)
The rules are explained in Stephen Hawkings’ documentary The Meaning of Life
Inventing Game of Life (John Conway) - Numberphile
John Conway himself talks about the Game of Life

Interesting articles about John Conway

Implemented by Edwin Martin <>