of its rotor divided by the sum of the sizes of its rotor and its
stator. In other words, it is the proportion of cells involved in
the oscillator which actually oscillate. For many periods there are
known oscillators with volatility 1, see for example Achim's p16,
figure-8, Kok's galaxy, mazing, pentadecathlon, phoenix,
relay, smiley and tumbler. Such an oscillator of period 3 was
found in August 2012 by Jason Summers.
The smallest period for which the existence of such statorless
oscillators is undecided is 7. There are oscillators with volatility
arbitrarily close to 1 for all but finitely many periods, because of
the possibility of feeding the gliders from a true period ngun
into an eater.
The term "volatility" is due to Robert Wainwright. See also
strict volatility.
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.
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