An infinite orthogonal row of cells stabilized on one
side so that it moves at the speed of light, often leaving debris
behind. The first examples were found in 1971 by Edward Fitzgerald
and Robert Wainwright. Superstrings were studied extensively by
Peter Rott during 1992-1994, and he found examples with many
different periods. (But no odd periods. In August 1998 Stephen
Silver proved that odd-period superstrings are impossible.)
Sometimes a finite section of a superstring can be made to run
between two tracks ("waveguides"). This gives a fuse which can be
made as wide as desired. The first example was found by Tony
Smithurst and uses tubs. (This is shown below. The superstring
itself is p4 with a repeating section of width 9 producing one
blinker per period and was one of those discovered in 1971. With the
track in place, however, the period is 8. This track can also be
used with a number of other superstrings.) Shortly after seeing this
example, in March 1997 Peter Rott found another superstring track
consisting of boats. At present these are the only two waveguides
known. Both are destroyed by the superstring as it moves along. It
would be interesting to find one that remains intact.
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.
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