Conway’s Game of Life

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Life Lexicon

Pentadecathlon

Found in 1970 by Conway while tracking the history of short rows of cells, 10 cells giving this object, which is the most natural oscillator of period greater than 3. In fact it is the fifth most common oscillator overall, appearing in random soups slightly more frequently than the clock, but much less frequently than the blinker, toad, beacon or pulsar. The pentadecathlon can be constructed using just three gliders, as shown in glider synthesis.

Game of Life pattern ’pentadecathlon’

The pentadecathlon is the only known oscillator that has two phases that are different polyominoes. It produces accessible V sparks and domino sparks, which give it a great capacity for doing perturbations, especially for period 30 based technology. See relay for example.

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 <>