Game of Life Links

[wildmyron]

DMOZ is now closed. There is a static mirror at http://dmoztools.net/Computers/Artifici ... e_of_Life/

Okrasinski's page on Geocities hasn't been available for a long time either - archive.org mirror: http://web.archive.org/web/200910270253 ... onwaylife/ - is there a more complete mirror somewhere?

Please add zfind to the list of search software.

Cheers.

[gameoflifemaniac]

Is there a place where I can find all still lifes with 19 bits and more?

[Apple Bottom]

Is there a place where I can find all still lifes with 19 bits and more?

4to22bits.tar.xz

There's other files in that repo, too, though on the whole it's fairly incomplete. You'll probably have to bug Simon Ekström and/or Nathaniel for more complete files.

[gameoflifemaniac]

Is there a place where I can find all still lifes with 19 bits and more?

4to22bits.tar.xz

There's other files in that repo, too, though on the whole it's fairly incomplete. You'll probably have to bug Simon Ekström and/or Nathaniel for more complete files.

Ok. But can I find those still lifes in one RLE somewhere?

[Apple Bottom]

Ok. But can I find those still lifes in one RLE somewhere?

Heinrich Koenig or Mark Niemiec might be able to provide them, but you'll be better off writing your own to-RLE converter.

[gameoflifemaniac]

Ok... But I'm actually doing a folder in Golly called 'Still lifes by bits'. I've completed 4-12 bits without copying and pasting and 16-18 bits w/ pasting from Mark Niemiec's Life Page. Now I'm working on 13-bit still lifes.

[Naszvadi]

Now, 2019's International Obfuscated C Code Competition winner entries are released, including an amazing hashlife implementation:

http://ioccc.org/years.html#2019_dogon

Gratulálunk Gil Dogon!

Must read this before use: http://ioccc.org/2019/dogon/hint.html

The source code: http://ioccc.org/2019/dogon/prog.c

Code: Select all

#include <X11/Xlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define G >>
#define O <<
#define S E(4)k=V+(V&2),
#define P(V,I)	U(q+V,t*4+I)
#define E(b) for(int V=0; V<b; V++)
#define R a d; long t,r,c,k; unsigned q[16]
											      long H,A,s,h,
											   L, I, f, e; unsigned
											 F=-1,D,l,i,g= 2; typedef
			 unsigned		 long a,			       *T; typedef unsigned*o; T p,
			 C; o n,		 w; a y=			     -1,j,m; void J(unsigned I, o f){
			R; S f[k		]=C[I]&				    64?p[I+(V&2)]G	V%2*32:p[I]G V
			%2*4+16			*(V&2)&				   F ; } void u(	  int l, int g,
			long I,			long b,				   long M){ R;		    c=4l O g; r
			= Y G 5			O s; t=				  X G 5 O s ;		     if(l<194&s>
			6|I>=H+		       t|I+2 *c				  <=H-t|b>=A		      +r|b+ 2* c
		       <= A-r)		       return;				 o n=w+(b-A		       +r O 4 G s
		       )*D+(I-		       H+t O 4				 G s); if(			g<=s -7){
		       *n =-1;		       return;				 } J(l,q);			if( g--){
		       S u(q[k		       ],g,I+V				 %2*c,b+V			 /2*c,M*8
		      +V ); }		      else{ t				 =0; r=4-			 s; if(r<
		      0){ t=-		      r; r=0;				 } M^=M G			 1; E(8 O
		      r){ for		      (k=0; k				 <8 O r;k			 ++){n[(V
		      G t)*D+		      (k G t)				 ]|=V*k|r			 <2?-(p[l
		      ]G(V G		      r)*8+(k				 G r)&1)|M			&513 O 12
       :99; } } } } a U(o v,a j){ R; r=0; t=j/4; T N=(T)v; if			  (t>0){ S		       J(v[k],q+
       2*k),r=917*r+v[k]; if(j&1)return P(5,-2);d=N[0];} else			  { r=(d=v[		       0]|v[1 ]O
       4)+719*(m=v[4]|v[5]O 4); if(j&1)return d G 18&3855| (m			   &15420 )		      O 14; d|=
       m O 32 ; } for(; c=n[r&=Z-1]; r++)if(d==p[c]&(!t|p[c+2			   ]==N[2]))		     break; int
       L=t--+1; if(L>h)L=h; if(C[c]&63^L|!c){ if(!c){ p[n[r]=			    c=g]=d; p		     [g+=2]=N[
       2]; g+=t>=0; } if(t<0){ E(2-!h){ r=0; E(4){ a B=d G V&			    y; B+=d*2		    G V&y; B+=
		    d/2 G V		    &y; B+=				     (B O 8)+(		   B G 8 ); r
		    |=(((B+		    y&y*6^3				      *y)+y G 3		  )&(d G V|B
		    )&y)O V		    ; } d=r				      ; } d=(d G	 18&F )O 32;
		   } else{		   E(11)if				       (V+1&3)q[V	]=P(V,0); S
		   q[k]=P(		   k,(t>h-					2)); d=64|     P(0,2)O 32;
		   } C[c]=		   L| d; }					 return j&2   ?c:C[c]G 32
		   ; } int		   main(){					  n=calloc(Z,8); F/= 17;
		  w=n+Z+F		  / 256 ;					   char*b=(char*) w-99;
		  o z=w+F		  /32 ,Q;					    p=(T)(99999+z); C=
		  p+1; R;		  y/= 15;					     E(64){ { S q[k]=
		  l; } t=		  V; l=P(			0,2); g+=!V; } Display*_=XOpenDisplay(0); while(gets(b)) {
		 if(I ++		 &&b[0]^			35){ if(sscanf(b,"%d%d%d%d%d",&t,q,q+1,q+2,q+3)==5){ t-=3;
		 S q[k]=		 q[V]?w[			q[V]]:t*3-1; } else{ t=p[0]=j=k=r=0; while(f=b[r++]){ if(f
		 ==42)p[		 0]|= 1l			O j*8+k; k++; if(f==36)j++,k=0; } J(0,q); } l=w[++D]=P(0,2
       ); } } *z=l; z[1]=t; Window f = XCreateSimpleWindow(_,		RootWindow(_,0),0,0,X,Y,1,0,0); Q=z+=2; D=X+128; XImage*j=
       XCreateImage(_, DefaultVisual(_,0),24,2,0,(char*)w,X,Y					,32,D*4);
       XEvent m; XSelectInput( _, f, 1 ); XMapWindow(_, f); d					: printf(
       "G:%ld M:%d L%d S%d\n",e,g,t,s); K:L-=L>2; u(l,t,-4l O					t,-4l O t
       ,0); XPutImage(_,f,DefaultGC(_,0),j,0,0,0,0,X,Y); E(Y*					(X+128))w
       [V]=0; if(XCheckWindowEvent(_,f,1,&m)){I=XLookupKeysym					(&m.xkey,
	       0) &63;		       if((I-1							&15)<4)*(
	       I&1?&H:		       &A)+=(I							-1&2)-1 O
	       s +2; i		       ^=I==8;							h+=(I==29
	       )-(h&&I		       ==27);							s+=(I==45
	      )-(s&&I		      == 61);							L^=I==32|
	      2*(I ==		      48) ; }							if(L&1 ){
	      if(!i){		      e+=1l O							h; d=t+2;
	      do{E(16		      )q[V]=3							*t-1; t++
	      ; r=t<d		      |t<h; J							(l, q+5);
	     S q[k]=		     P(2*k,-							2); l=P(0
	     ,2 *r);		     } while							(r);while
	     (--t-1)		     { J(l,q							+10); S J
	    (q[10+k		    ],q+2*k							);E(16)if
	    ((V^V/2		    )&5^5&&							q[V]-3*t+
	    4){ *++		    z=l;*++							z=t;*++z=
	    e; goto		    d; } l=							P(5 ,-2);
	    } }else		    { if(z>							Q){ z-=3;
												e=*z; t=z
												[-1]; l=z
												[- 2] ; }
												goto d; }
												}goto K;}

[Naszvadi]

When hobbies are met - retrocomputing vs CGoL:

https://github.com/retrohun/blog/tree/m ... ay19372020

Warning! Huge 4MB .gif "video" inside!

[ColorfulGalaxy]

Add this to "Downloadable Simulation Software".

[Naszvadi]

GNU Linear Programming Kit has nasty benchmark MILP models, namely a CGoL Garden of Eden verifier mentioned here:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-glpk/2020-09/threads.html

[Tropylium]

I suppose this is a sufficient initial place for the announcement. After some years of dwelling on the idea, I've started a blog for sketching down thoughts on the classification of cellular automata:
https://cellularcosmology.wordpress.com/

No specifically CGoL content so far, or even particularly planned yet; and once I get to posting some other more substantial results I have around, I might mirror these on the forums too.

[jintsi]

How is Catagolue not on the list???

[Ian07]

How is Catagolue not on the list???

Evidently it's been a while since Nathaniel last updated his original post. The most up-to-date version of the list can be found on the wiki at LifeWiki:Life links, where Catagolue is indeed listed.

[otismo]

Do GOL patterns pass muster as works of art?

Announcing a "new" browser-based (Java and Javascript) downloadable pattern collection.

http://www.collidoscope.com/cgolve/cgolvepc.zip

Instructions: download (about 250K), unzip, open cgolvepc.html in your browser, enjoy.

Features: integrated hyperlinks, automated slide show, color, easy to use.

Disclaimer: the "Alien Guns" exhibit is not GOL.

Please !

Anyone have this file :

cgolvepc.zip

? ? ? ? ?

Thank You !

[Anivec]

I don't believe I see Matthias Merzenich's jslife-moving collection. Which is similar to the original Jason's Life Page.

[Andrew]

Interesting post by Stephen Wolfram:

https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/202 ... automaton/

[confocaloid]

Interesting post by Stephen Wolfram:

https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/202 ... automaton/

It appears that there are some claims that are inaccurate or incorrect (including statements about history, comparisons between patterns, inaccurate terminology, ...)


The part mentioning the Snark is hard to follow. The author claims

For example, the “stably-reflect-gliders-without-regard-to-phase” snark—finally obtained in 2013—was the result of using parts of the (ultimately unstable) “simple-structures” construction from around 1998
(Pattern A)
and combining them with a hard-to-explain-why-it-works “still life” found by search:
(Pattern B)

- where "Pattern A" looks suspiciously similar to Silver's reflector, and apparently fails to be a source of any parts or components that were "combined with" some parts of the Snark to obtain the Snark. (Eater 1 catalysts do appear in both patterns, but then numerous instances of the same catalyst did appear in a whole lot of other patterns discovered earlier by various people.)


The author describes the p80 gliderless HWSS gun as 'the most-compact-ever “spaceship gun”'.
However, the p80 gliderless HWSS gun discovered in 2025 has bounding box 47-by-25 (area 1175 cells), while the p46 gliderless MWSS gun discovered in 2017 has bounding box 40-by-29 (area 1160 cells) and hence is more compact.


The author claims

By the way, in 2013 it was actually found possible to extend the construction for oscillators of any period to a construction for guns of any period (or at least any period above 78):

which also appears to be inaccurate. The syringe was discovered in 2015 (!), but before that, people already knew how to construct glider guns of lower periods: LifeWiki:Game_of_Life_Status_page#Glider_gun_true-periods


I found it interesting that the author describes the first known true-period-15 glider gun as “more efficient” when comparing it to the first known glider gun. (My intuition leads me to consider Gosper's glider gun as "more efficient".)
I decided to count state-changing transitions (i.e. births and deaths) over one cycle.

• For the period-30 glider gun, I counted 585 births and 580 deaths over one cycle (30 ticks); 1165 state-changing transitions in total. (Caveat: this depends on when the output glider is removed, so your count may differ.)
• For the period-15 glider gun, I counted 732 births and 727 deaths over one cycle (15 ticks); 1459 state-changing transitions in total. (The same caveat.)

These counts suggest that Gosper glider gun can be considered "more efficient" in a sense, because its evolutionary sequence involves fewer state-changing transitions over one cycle (to produce one output glider).


People who know more about [the history of] Life/CA probably will be able to see more errors and inaccuracies.

[...] What were the stories of all those people whose names were attached to discoveries in Life? A research assistant of mine began to track them down, and interview them. [...]

Regarding the style, I asked an "online chatbot" software tool (quoting two relevant paragraphs from https://web.archive.org/web/20250321165 ... s/wolfram/ as part of my question), and here is the response I got:

Based on the provided blog post, it appears that some of the criticisms leveled by Cosma Shalizi against Stephen Wolfram's book A New Kind of Science may still apply. The blog post focuses heavily on Wolfram's own work and perspective, with a style that could be interpreted as self-aggrandizing.

Here's a breakdown:

* **Lack of Citations**: The blog post does not include citations or references to other researchers' work. This aligns with Shalizi's criticism of Wolfram's omission of references in A New Kind of Science.
* **Focus on Wolfram's Perspective**: The blog post centers on Wolfram's analysis and understanding of the Game of Life, with a strong emphasis on his own research and discoveries. This is reminiscent of Shalizi's critique of Wolfram's self-promotion.

However, it's important to note that the blog post is not a scientific paper, and the absence of citations might be less critical in this context.

While this is just an autogenerated response of a system that lacks personal experiences, emotions, consciousness, or true understanding, the response does align with my own impression from reading the blog post, and at least the "online chatbot" does acknowledge its limitations when asked directly something like "What are your limitations?"

[hkoenig]

The 3-D renderings of Life histories is different and interesting, but no great breakthrough. Back in the early 1970s, when I was still using pencil and graph paper, I also tried to create a history of the R-pentomino with little wooden cubes glued together. I quickly came to the conclusion it stupid because there was too much effort needed and I would need a lot of cubes. (Maybe someone can do such an app as a Game of Life 3-D modeling project for a VR system...)

I'd take issue with the definition of proximity distance for subdiving objects "modular parts" as 2*sqrt(2). I've used 1+sqrt(2) to much greater success when partioning patterns into objects. (In other words, use a 5x5 neigborhood and ignore the corners.) The rationale is that an isolated active cell two diagonal cells away can never cause a birth or a death surrounding the original cell. That's why two Blocks separated by a single diagonal cell is not a pseudo-object, while his measure would consider them as grouped.

"While this is just an autogenerated response of a system that lacks personal experiences, emotions, consciousness, or true understanding, the response does align with my own impression from reading the blog post..."

I've noticed in all of Wolfram's webpage postings have been like this one. Rarely does one find a link to a source beyond a website he controls. In this case there are some links to <conwaylife.com> lifewiki pages, from which a user can find the sources for some of the patterns.

The content is an interesting use of the lifeWiki, where others have put a whole lot of effort into tracking down discovery/invention dates and the whimsical names for all those objects and patterns.

He makes it difficult to impossible to quickly and easily copy and run the patterns presented. The image links appear to be to the Mathematica source code used to generate videos, which is of little help to someone who doesn't have access to that product or who just wants still pictures

At least at the end there a link to Johnston & Greene's book on Life. But it is to the actual PDF file, not to the container page which allows for downloads and other information about obtaining the book.

(I wonder if his interns/assistants had anything to do with some of those times back when the forum "users online" numbered into the thousands. Somebody was scraping away...)

[RyanLane]

[B35678/S34678] UCTiT “Genesis Pattern” – Minimal Big Bang Simulator
Hello CA community!

I’ve developed a new **Life-like rule** based on the ideas in my UCTiT theory, and I want to share a pattern that demonstrates a kind of “computational Big Bang.”

**Rule (B/S):**
B35678/S34678
—that is: births with 3,5,6,7,8 neighbors; survival with 3,4,6,7,8 neighbors.

**Seed Pattern (3×3 grid, top‑left cell removed):**

- The pattern will expand dramatically once it reaches a critical mass of 8 live neighbors.
- It’s a clean demonstration of emergence: minimal input, rapid structured growth.

### To Test It:
1. In **Golly**:
- Create a **new rule** named `B35678/S34678` with the B/S conditions above.
- Paste the seed pattern and hit “Start.”

2. Or, paste the pattern & rule directly in **CAViewer** (or similar online):
- Ask the site to import the RLE code above and set the rule manually.

I’d love to hear about:
- Observations of how and when the pattern “ignites”
- Variations people discover (e.g. mutation effects, alternate seeds)
- Any contributions to the theory of emergent coherence

Please jump in, remix it, ask questions—I’m keen to learn from others’ insights!

---

You can also find/clone this rule in any Golly-compatible environment and run the pattern easily.

---

[LuveelVoom]

Please use RLE inside pattern tags, like this:

Code: Select all

 x = 3, y = 3, rule = B35678/S34678
b2o$3o$3o!

Additionally, I would recommend against using LLM models for CA purposes, as they aren’t developed enough to contribute to much (besides coding assistance) in the CA space at the moment and may provide inaccurate or useless results.
Welcome to the forums!

[otismo]

Welcome to our Community Ryan Lane

add a Blonk and an Oscillator quickly develops

Code: Select all

x = 5, y = 5, rule = B35678/S34678
b2o$3o$3o$4bo$3b2o!

Cheers !

[mmmmmmmmm]

Why isn’t rlifesrc on the game of life links page? Can someone add it?

[AnotherVinyasa]

Hi guys,

Any chance https://conwaygame.life/ could get added to the "Web Browser Based Life Simulations" section? Thanks