Thread for basic questions

[Schiaparelliorbust]

Don't. That's gfind. Besides, the tutorials are all horribly outdated.

Ok, that's what I thought could be the case. I was looking there the whole time. They really should be updated.

[Donald K Trump]

What is a "MWSS spark"?
This page has a link ("xp0_14") to a non-existent page ("MWSS spark")
Are there any known extensible one-time splitters?

[Schiaparelliorbust]

What is a "MWSS spark"?
This page has a link ("xp0_14") to a non-existent page ("MWSS spark")
Are there any known extensible one-time splitters?

It's called a belly spark too:

Code: Select all

x = 14, y = 10, rule = LifeHistory
2$4.5A$3.A4.A$8.A$3.A3.A$5.C!

The HWSS also has a belly spark:

Code: Select all

x = 12, y = 11, rule = LifeHistory
3$3.6A$2.A5.A$8.A$2.A4.A$4.2C!

And all XWSSs have a back spark:

Code: Select all

x = 18, y = 30, rule = LifeHistory
8$5.4A$4.A3.A$8.A$4.C2.A4$4.5A$3.A4.A$8.A$3.C3.A$5.A3$3.6A$2.A5.A$8.A
$2.C4.A$4.2A!

And the HWSS is the largest standalone spaceship because in the OWSS (overweight spaceship) the belly spark kills it. It is also called an egg:

Code: Select all

x = 20, y = 14, rule = B3/S23
6$6b7o$5bo6bo$12bo$5bo5bo$7b3o!

An OWSS can be stabilized with escort XWSSs:

Code: Select all

x = 28, y = 32, rule = B3/S23
10$5b4o$5bo3bo$5bo$6bo2bo$10bo$6bo5bo$5bo$5bo6bo$5b7o4$5b4o$5bo3bo$5b
o$6bo2bo!

This is called a flotilla.

[m00sehead]

Is there any puffer that's debris consists of itself? To be more specific, a puffer that leaves behind debris that then either is or becomes the original puffer, just going to one of the two sides instead of travelling in the same direction.

[Schiaparelliorbust]

Is there any puffer that's debris consists of itself? To be more specific, a puffer that leaves behind debris that then either is or becomes the original puffer, just going to one of the two sides instead of travelling in the same direction.

I mean you can probably have self-synthesising rakes. It might be hard to make, but very probably possible, if not plausible with CGoL's universal construction. There is also the very, very unlikely case where you just fire random debris and hope the puffer comes from it.
Edit: By rake I mean it would synthesise something entirely with gliders. Also, this would be a replicator.

[C28]

can every still-life act as a one-time reflector?

[praosylen]

can every still-life act as a one-time reflector?

No. For example, here are all of the possible glider+block collisions, none of which produce any gliders:

Code: Select all

x = 98, y = 6, rule = B3/S23
obo10bobo34bobo19bobo10bo10bo$2o11b2o35b2o20b2o11bobo7bo$bo12bo36bo21b
o11b2o8b3o2$2b2o10b2o34b2o19b2o10b2o8b2o$2b2o10b2o34b2o19b2o10b2o8b2o
!

Most other common still lives (beehives, loaves, tubs, ponds, ships, etc.) cannot produce a clean glider when hit by a single glider — boats, long boats, and eaters are more the exception than the rule.

[Schiaparelliorbust]

Ok, I got Cygwin and in the Cygwin64 terminal I type ./recompile.sh and it says

-bash: ./recompile.sh: No such file or directory

but I have ikpx2 and there is a text file called recompile.sh.

[bubblegum]

Ok, I got Cygwin and in the Cygwin64 terminal I type ./recompile.sh and it says

-bash: ./recompile.sh: No such file or directory

but I have ikpx2 and there is a text file called recompile.sh.

Run ls and make sure it's not recompile.sh.txt.

[Schiaparelliorbust]

Run ls and make sure it's not recompile.sh.txt.

What is ls? The name of the file is recompile.sh, not recompile.sh.txt.

[bubblegum]

Run ls and make sure it's not recompile.sh.txt.

What is ls? The name of the file is recompile.sh, not recompile.sh.txt.

ls is a command to list everything in your directory. Run it, then tell me what you get.

[Schiaparelliorbust]

ls is a command to list everything in your directory. Run it, then tell me what you get.

Should I run it in the Cygwin terminal? I tried doing it there, but nothing happened. I just typed ls and hit enter.

[bubblegum]

ls is a command to list everything in your directory. Run it, then tell me what you get.

Should I run it in the Cygwin terminal? I tried doing it there, but nothing happened. I just typed ls and hit enter.

cd into ikpx2 (or whatever directory/folder you have ikpx2 in) and then run ls. If nothing happens, the directory is empty.

[HelicopterCat3]

Can Life have ships of every slope at their fastest, elementary speed (For being a non B0 or B2 rule)? The Sir Robin is the fastest possible knightship and is considered elementary. Could it be possible that there's an elementary c/8 Camelship in Life?

[Hunting]

Can Life have ships of every slope at their fastest, elementary speed (For being a non B0 or B2 rule)? The Sir Robin is the fastest possible knightship and is considered elementary. Could it be possible that there's an elementary c/8 Camelship in Life?

1. Fastest possible knightship speed in a non B0/B2 rule is (2, 1)c/5 not (2, 1)c/6 though that's not possible in B3/S23
2. What do you mean by "can life have ships"? Almost certainly yes, but none were known. Do you really think it is easy to prove a speed does not exist?

[HelicopterCat3]

Can Life have ships of every slope at their fastest, elementary speed (For being a non B0 or B2 rule)? The Sir Robin is the fastest possible knightship and is considered elementary. Could it be possible that there's an elementary c/8 Camelship in Life?

1. Fastest possible knightship speed in a non B0/B2 rule is (2, 1)c/5 not (2, 1)c/6 though that's not possible in B3/S23
2. What do you mean by "can life have ships"? Almost certainly yes, but none were known. Do you really think it is easy to prove a speed does not exist?

Well of course not. It's not easy to know for sure. I guess this was more of a "do you think/assume it's possible" question. Certainly one that wastes time, but a nice question I suppose

[C28]

where do i post if i want to know if a pattern has been found already?

[goldenratio]

where do i post if i want to know if a pattern has been found already?

here
But if it's a short-lived methuselah, still life, or other boring pattern, don't bother.

[Hdjensofjfnen]

Can someone define the term "inflected"?

[bubblegum]

Can someone define the term "inflected"?

A modification that adds a cell onto the curls of Big S-like induction coils. An example is shown below:

Code: Select all

#C Left: cis-mirrored worm, right: inflected cis-mirrored worm
x = 23, y = 8, rule = B3/S23
16bo3bo$b2o3b2o7bobobobo$o2bobo2bo5bo2bobo2bo$2obobob2o5b2obobob2o$3b
obo11bobo$3bobo11bobo$2b2ob2o9b2ob2o!

[Hunting]

Is there any puffer that's debris consists of itself? To be more specific, a puffer that leaves behind debris that then either is or becomes the original puffer, just going to one of the two sides instead of travelling in the same direction.

No - say you have such a puffer:

Code: Select all

x = 31, y = 10, rule = B2n3_S23-qHistory
2.D9.D9.D$.3D7.3D7.3D$5D5.5D5.5D$2.D9.D9.D$2.D9.D9.D$2.D9.D9.D5.A$28.
2A$25.6A$28.2A$28.A!

(Green: puffer, Red: debris going sideways)

Since the debris is the puffer itself, they produces more selves:

Code: Select all

x = 36, y = 31, rule = B2n3_S23-qHistory
7.D$6.3D$5.5D$7.D$7.D$7.D$2.C$.2C$6C$.2C$2.C14.D$16.3D$15.5D$17.D$17.
D$17.D$2.C9.C$.2C8.2C$6C4.6C$.2C8.2C$2.C9.C14.D$26.3D$25.5D$27.D$27.D
$27.D5.A$2.C9.C9.C10.2A$.2C8.2C8.2C7.6A$6C4.6C4.6C7.2A$.2C8.2C8.2C10.
A$2.C9.C9.C!

(White: debris of debris)

Then it produces:

Code: Select all

x = 56, y = 37, rule = B2n3_S23-qHistory
27.D$26.3D$25.5D$27.D$27.D$27.D$22.C$21.2C$20.6C$21.2C$22.C14.D$27.E
8.3D$27.E7.5D$27.E9.D$25.5E7.D$26.3E8.D$12.C14.E4.C$11.2C18.2C$10.6C
14.6C$11.2C18.2C$12.C19.C14.D$17.E9.E18.3D$17.E9.E17.5D$17.E9.E19.D$
15.5E5.5E17.D$16.3E7.3E18.D5.A$2.C14.E9.E4.C9.C10.2A$.2C28.2C8.2C7.6A
$6C24.6C4.6C7.2A$.2C28.2C8.2C10.A$2.C29.C9.C$7.E9.E9.E$7.E9.E9.E$7.E
9.E9.E$5.5E5.5E5.5E$6.3E7.3E7.3E$7.E9.E9.E!

(Yellow: debris of debris of debris)

Then it becomes:

Code: Select all

x = 56, y = 57, rule = B2n3_S23-qHistory
27.D$26.3D$25.5D$27.D$27.D$27.D$22.C$21.2C$20.6C$21.2C$22.C14.D$27.E
8.3D$27.E7.5D$27.E9.D$25.5E7.D$26.3E8.D$12.C14.E4.C$11.2C18.2C$10.6C
14.6C$11.2C18.2C$12.C19.C14.D$17.E9.E18.3D$17.E9.E17.5D$17.E9.E19.D$
15.5E5.5E17.D$16.3E7.3E18.D5.A$2.C14.E9.E4.C9.C10.2A$.2C10.B9.B7.2CB
7.2C7.6A$6C7.2B8.2B5.3C2BC4.6C7.2A$.2C7.6B4.6B4.6B5.2C10.A$2.C10.2B8.
2B7.C2B7.C$7.C5.B3.E5.B3.E5.B$7.C9.E9.E$7.C9.E9.E$5.5C5.5E5.5E$6.3C7.
3E7.3E$7.C9.E9.E$23.B9.B$23.2B8.2B$20.6B4.6B$23.2B8.2B$17.C5.B9.B$17.
C$17.C$15.5C$16.3C$17.C$33.B$33.2B$30.6B$33.2B$27.C5.B$27.C$27.C$25.
5C$26.3C$27.C!

And it runs out of space.

Here's an example of such a breeder in action:

Code: Select all

x = 48, y = 11, rule = B34z5e6n7/S2-i34q
13b2o$6b2ob4obo$3o3bo16b2o$obo2bo2bobo10b2o3bo7bo3bo$6bob4o9b2obo2bo2b
6obobo5b2o$7bob3o10b3o4b2o4bobobo4bo2bo$8b2o12bobo7bob2o2bo5bo2bo$23b
2ob2o6bo8b2ob2o$24b3o2b4ob2o8b2o$31bo3bo$35bo!
#C [[ AUTOSTART ]]

[MathAndCode]

Is there any puffer that's debris consists of itself? To be more specific, a puffer that leaves behind debris that then either is or becomes the original puffer, just going to one of the two sides instead of travelling in the same direction.

I think that that would count as a replicator, not a puffer.

[Schiaparelliorbust]

Is there even any clear definition of puffer? LifeWiki states that a puffer is "a pattern that moves like a spaceship, except that it leaves debris behind."
This feels a bit ambiguous to me. It's okay for most practical purposes, but there can be fringe patterns that some people wouldn't categorize as a puffer:

Code: Select all

x = 29, y = 17, rule = /2/3
6$16.BA$10.B6.BA$9.2A5.A.BA$10.BAB.2AB2.BA$11.2AB.B2.BA.BA$13.AB2.BA
2.BA$14.A.BA$15.BA!

Are replicators puffers? You might say that, say, the HighLife replicator isn't a puffer, but the linear propagator certainly seems like one to me.

[Hunting]

Is there even any clear definition of puffer? LifeWiki states that a puffer is "a pattern that moves like a spaceship, except that it leaves debris behind."
This feels a bit ambiguous to me. It's okay for most practical purposes, but there can be fringe patterns that some people wouldn't categorize as a puffer:

Code: Select all

x = 29, y = 17, rule = /2/3
6$16.BA$10.B6.BA$9.2A5.A.BA$10.BAB.2AB2.BA$11.2AB.B2.BA.BA$13.AB2.BA
2.BA$14.A.BA$15.BA!

Are replicators puffers? You might say that, say, the HighLife replicator isn't a puffer, but the linear propagator certainly seems like one to me.

The HighLife replicator is an XOR puffer. The linear propagator is only a replicator in the sense that it constructs itself, similar to some other UC-replicators (like the one in JvN29).

A better description of puffer is mobile patterns that only leaves pable statterns, or in some cases a spaceship+oscillators hybrid debris, although the latter is more often referred to a dirty rake. Chaotic "puffers" are not strictly puffers.

[Schiaparelliorbust]

The HighLife replicator is an XOR puffer. The linear propagator is only a replicator in the sense that it constructs itself, similar to some other UC-replicators (like the one in JvN29).

A better description of puffer is mobile patterns that only leaves pable statterns, or in some cases a spaceship+oscillators hybrid debris, although the latter is more often referred to a dirty rake. Chaotic "puffers" are not strictly puffers.

A broader definition that would include the example I gave would be a pattern which moves at a constant speed and periodically emits the same debris, though the debris doesn't necessarily have to become periodic itself. I also consider spaceship + oscillators/still lives to be stable.