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{{Glossary}}
{{Glossary}}
A '''conduit''' is an arrangement of [[still life]]s and/or [[oscillator]]s that move an active object to another location without themselves being permanently damaged. The object may be transformed into a different active object in the process, but no permanent debris may be left behind. Alternatively, [[glider]]s or other [[spaceship]]s may be emitted; they will either abandon the site of their creation, or can be absorbed by eaters. Probably the most important conduit is [[conduit 1]], in which a [[B-heptomino]] is transformed into a [[Herschel]] in 59 generations.
A '''conduit''' is an arrangement of [[still life]]s and/or [[oscillator]]s that move an [[active reaction]] to another location without themselves being permanently damaged. The chaotic object may be transformed into a different chaotic object in the process, but no permanent debris may be left behind. Alternatively, [[glider]]s or other [[spaceship]]s may be accepted as inputs and/or emitted as outputs; any emitted spaceships will either abandon the site of their creation, or can be absorbed by eaters. Probably the most important conduit is [[Conduit 1]], in which a [[B-heptomino]] is transformed into a [[Herschel]] in 59 generations.


==Herschel conduits==
== Herschel conduits ==
{{main|Herschel conduit}}
{{main|Herschel conduit}}


The most prolific stable conduits are those which rotate, reflect or translate a [[Herschel]] in a certain number of [[generation]]s. Oscillators of all [[period]]s ≥ 58 can be built using these [[elementary conduit]]s. All except the smallest [[stable reflector]]s use Herschel conduits, some of the counter-examples being the [[Snark]], [[rectifier]], and [[boojum reflector]].
The most prolific stable conduits are those which rotate, reflect or translate a [[Herschel]] in a certain number of [[generation]]s. Oscillators of all [[period]]s {{nowrap|≥ 57}} can be built using these [[elementary conduit]]s. All except the smallest [[stable reflector]]s use Herschel conduits, some of the counter-examples being the [[Snark]], [[rectifier]], and [[Boojum reflector]].


<!-- section moved to [[Herschel conduit]] -->
== B-heptomino and other conduits ==
There are other conduits that move objects other than the Herschel, objects like the [[B-heptomino]], [[R-pentomino]], or the [[century]]. These conduits are no less useful than Herschel conduits, and some Herschel conduits are made up of two or more different conduits transforming the signal.


==B-heptomino and other conduits==
{{AS OF|February 2024}}, there are 16 objects that are "officially" recognized as conduit signals. Those objects are:
* the [[R-pentomino]]  (abbreviated as '''R''')
* the [[B-heptomino]]  (abbreviated as '''B''')
* the [[Herschel]]  (abbreviated as '''H''')
* the [[century]]  (abbreviated as '''C''')
* the [[dove]]  (abbreviated as '''D''')
* the [[pi-heptomino]]  (abbreviated as '''P''')
* the [[queen bee]]  (abbreviated as '''Q''')
* the [[wing]]  (abbreviated as '''W''')
* the [[I-heptomino]]  (abbreviated as '''I''')
* the [[two-glider octomino]]  (abbreviated as '''O''')
* the [[blonk-tie]] (abbreviated as '''J''')
* the [[U-turner]]  (abbreviated as '''U''')
* the [[E-heptomino]] (abbreviated as '''E''')
* the [[glider]]  (abbreviated as '''G''')
* the [[lightweight spaceship]]  (abbreviated as '''L''')
* the [[middleweight spaceship]]  (abbreviated as '''M''')


There are other conduits that move objects other than the Herschel, objects like the [[B-heptomino]], [[R-pentomino]], or the [[century]]. These conduits are no less useful than Herschel conduits, and some Herschel conduit are made up of 2 or more different conduit transforming the signal.
The letter '''X''' is used as a placeholder, such as in [[G-to-X]].


as of February 2023, there are 15 objects that are "officially" recognized as conduit signals. those are:
There are also some objects that have some conduits which input or output it but are not considered to be "official" conduit signals, like the [[R-turner]], the [[heavyweight spaceship]], or "e9jp"<ref name="post149308" />.
* the [[R-pentomino]]  (abbreviated as R)
* the [[B-heptomino]]  (abbreviated as B)
* the [[Herschel]]  (abbreviated as H)
* the [[Century]]  (abbreviated as C)
* the [[Dove]]  (abbreviated as D)
* the [[Pi-heptomino]]  (abbreviated as P)
* the [[Queen bee]]  (abbreviated as Q)
* the [[Wing]]  (abbreviated as W)
* the [[I-heptomino]]  (abbreviated as I)
* the [[two-glider octomino]]  (abbreviated as O)
* the [[Blonk-tie]] (abbreviated as J)
* the [[U-turner]] (abbreviated as U)
* the [[Glider]]  (abbreviated as G)
* the [[Lightweight spaceship]] (abbreviated as Lw)
* the [[Middleweight spaceship]]  (abbreviated as Mw)


There are also some objects that have some conduits which input or output it but are not considered to be "official" conduit signals, like the R-turner or "e9jp".
The names of conduits that input and/or output an object other than a Herschel are derived from 3 things: the input and output object, the orientation of the output object relative to the input, and the amount of time it takes for the output to reach its canonical form. More specifically, the name is structured as follows:
<center> '''[abbreviation of the input object] [orientation of output object relative to the input object] [amount of time it takes for the output object to appear] [abbreviation of the output object]''' </center>


The names of conduits that input and/or output an object other than a Herschel are derived from 3 things: the input and output object, the orientation of the output relative to the input, and the amount of time it takes for the output to reach its canonical form. more specifically, the name is structured as follows:
For conduits with symmetrical inputs (i.e. a [[pi-heptomino]] or [[queen bee]]) like [[PF35W]], an asterisk ('''*''') is used to denote that the conduit can be flipped to place the input either clockwise or counterclockwise.  The resulting pair of conduits will have outputs in the same number of ticks, but they will be either F and Fx ('''F*'''), L and Rx ('''L*'''), R and Lx ('''R*'''), or B and Bx ('''B*''').<ref name="post66272" />
<center> '''[abbreviation of the input object] [output orientation] [amount of time it takes for the output to reach its canonical form] [abbreviation of the output object] </center>
 
For conduits with both symmetrical inputs and outputs like [[PT8P]], the resulting pair of conduits will have outputs in the same number of ticks, but they will be either F and Fx ('''F*'''), L, Rx, R and Lx ('''T'''), or B and Bx ('''B*''').
 
 
So for example, take this conduit:
{{EmbedViewer
|pname        = pf35w
|viewerconfig = #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 8 GPS 15 ]]
|position    = center
|style        = width:300px;
}}
 
It takes a Pi-heptomino ('''P''') and in '''35''' generations it changes it into a Wing ('''W''') facing forward ('''F''') relative to the input, which makes this conduit '''PF35W'''.


==Creating a useful conduit==
==Creating a useful conduit==
For an elementary conduit to be useful, the following must be true:
To make it more likely that a new elementary conduit will be useful, the following should be true:
* The output must have enough clearance that it doesn't hit a catalyst before it can be perturbed.
* The output should have enough clearance that it doesn't hit a catalyst before it can be perturbed.
* The input must have enough clearance that an object can get there. Some regions, like B-heptominoes, usually come from certain directions, so make sure that direction isn't blocked.
* The input should have enough clearance that an object can get there. Some active objects, like B-heptominoes, usually come from certain directions, so make sure that direction isn't blocked.
* The input region is common enough. For example, there are a lot more [[U-turner]] input conduits than output conduits, but as more U-turner output conduits get found, the input conduits become more useful.
* The input reaction is common enough. For example, there are a lot more [[U-turner]] input conduits than output conduits, but as more U-turner output conduits get found, the input conduits become more useful.
* The input and output regions expand enough. [[Honey farm]]s don't expand much and don't have that much use in conduits (with some known exceptions, like composite [[H-to-G]]s<ref name="post153842" /> or a potentially useful HF [[eater]] that works in all eight orientations<ref name="post147390" />). Similarly, [[lumps of muck]] may appear useful, but they expand symmetrically from the origin rather than moving in one direction and aren't used in conduits much.
* The input and output reactions expand enough. [[Honey farm]]s don't expand much and don't have that much use in conduits (with some known exceptions, like composite honeyfarm-involving [[H-to-G]]s<ref name="post153842" /><ref name="post157909" /> or a potentially useful honeyfarm [[eater]] that works in all eight orientations<ref name="post147390" />). Similarly, [[lumps of muck]] may appear useful, but they expand symmetrically from the origin rather than moving in one direction and aren't used in conduits much.
 
Finding a conduit that outputs a given methuselah is generally harder than finding a conduit accepting a given input. There is no known efficient way to search for a specific output reaction, other than searching for any output and filtering by the output later.<ref name="post152146" />
 
For general help with finding new conduits, see [[Tutorials/Finding conduits]].


==See also==
==See also==
Line 53: Line 72:
|author = cvojan
|author = cvojan
|date  = June 21, 2022
|date  = June 21, 2022
}}</ref>
<ref name="post149308">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p      = 149308
|title  = Re: Thread for your periodic conduits that do not necessarily involve Herschels
|author = Dave Greene
|date  = August 8, 2022
}}</ref>
<ref name="post152146">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p      = 152146
|title  = Re: Thread for basic questions
|author = Dave Greene
|date  = October 13, 2022
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
<ref name="post153842">{{LinkForumThread
<ref name="post153842">{{LinkForumThread
Line 60: Line 93:
|author = Sphenocorona
|author = Sphenocorona
|date  = November 19, 2022
|date  = November 19, 2022
}}</ref>
<ref name="post157909">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p      = 157909
|title  = Re: H-to-G and H-to-Gn converter collection
|author = EvinZL
|date  = February 20, 2023
}}</ref>
<ref name="post66272">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p      = 66272
|title  = Re: The Hunting of the Elementary Conduits
|author = Freywa
|date  = December 7, 2018
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
</references>
</references>
Line 68: Line 115:
* {{LinkCallahan|patterns/p1/p1.html|patternname=Buckingham discussing stable reflectors and Herschel tracks}}
* {{LinkCallahan|patterns/p1/p1.html|patternname=Buckingham discussing stable reflectors and Herschel tracks}}
* {{LinkCallahan|patterns/ssrefl/ssrefl.html|patternname=Stephen Silver on stable reflectors}}
* {{LinkCallahan|patterns/ssrefl/ssrefl.html|patternname=Stephen Silver on stable reflectors}}
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20110908013135/http://calcyman.awardspace.co.uk/life/stable.htm] Brief summary of stable technology
* Adam P. Goucher. [http://web.archive.org/web/20110908013135/http://calcyman.awardspace.co.uk/life/stable.htm Conway's game of Life - Stable technology] (archived 2011 page)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=1599|title=The Hunting of the New Herschel Conduits}} (contains links to other useful conduit-related forum threads)
 
=== Forum threads ===
 
==== Working conduits ====
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=1849|title=The Hunting of the Elementary Conduits}}{{br}}(stable elementary conduits)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=1682|title=H-to-G and H-to-Gn converter collection}}{{br}}(stable Herschel-to-glider converters)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=1599|title=The Hunting of the New Herschel Conduits}}{{br}}(stable Herschel conduits, excluding Herschel-to-glider converters)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4996|title=Thread for your periodic conduits that do not necessarily involve Herschels}}{{br}}(periodic elementary conduits)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4790|title=The Hunting of the Periodic Herschel Conduits}}{{br}}(periodic Herschel conduits)
 
==== Incomplete conduits ====
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4993|title=Thread for your speculative elementary conduits}}{{br}}(using known signals / common active reactions)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4809|title=Thread for your conduits with active objects uncommonly used in conduits}}{{br}}(using uncommon signals)
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4994|title=Keeping track of dirty conduits}}
 
==== Reactions and signals ====
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4891|title=Thread for your reactions that might be useful for conduits}}
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4868|title=Thread for your chaos-edgeshooting reactions that can probably yield new conduits}}
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4879|title=Soup-searching for potentially conduit-yielding reactions}}
* {{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=4971|title=Finding bottlenecks}}


[[Category:Conduits| ]]
[[Category:Conduits| ]]
[[Category:Pattern naming]]
__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__

Latest revision as of 21:53, 13 September 2025

A conduit is an arrangement of still lifes and/or oscillators that move an active reaction to another location without themselves being permanently damaged. The chaotic object may be transformed into a different chaotic object in the process, but no permanent debris may be left behind. Alternatively, gliders or other spaceships may be accepted as inputs and/or emitted as outputs; any emitted spaceships will either abandon the site of their creation, or can be absorbed by eaters. Probably the most important conduit is Conduit 1, in which a B-heptomino is transformed into a Herschel in 59 generations.

Herschel conduits

Main article: Herschel conduit

The most prolific stable conduits are those which rotate, reflect or translate a Herschel in a certain number of generations. Oscillators of all periods ≥ 57 can be built using these elementary conduits. All except the smallest stable reflectors use Herschel conduits, some of the counter-examples being the Snark, rectifier, and Boojum reflector.

B-heptomino and other conduits

There are other conduits that move objects other than the Herschel, objects like the B-heptomino, R-pentomino, or the century. These conduits are no less useful than Herschel conduits, and some Herschel conduits are made up of two or more different conduits transforming the signal.

As of February 2024, there are 16 objects that are "officially" recognized as conduit signals. Those objects are:

The letter X is used as a placeholder, such as in G-to-X.

There are also some objects that have some conduits which input or output it but are not considered to be "official" conduit signals, like the R-turner, the heavyweight spaceship, or "e9jp"[1].

The names of conduits that input and/or output an object other than a Herschel are derived from 3 things: the input and output object, the orientation of the output object relative to the input, and the amount of time it takes for the output to reach its canonical form. More specifically, the name is structured as follows:

[abbreviation of the input object] [orientation of output object relative to the input object] [amount of time it takes for the output object to appear] [abbreviation of the output object]

For conduits with symmetrical inputs (i.e. a pi-heptomino or queen bee) like PF35W, an asterisk (*) is used to denote that the conduit can be flipped to place the input either clockwise or counterclockwise. The resulting pair of conduits will have outputs in the same number of ticks, but they will be either F and Fx (F*), L and Rx (L*), R and Lx (R*), or B and Bx (B*).[2]

For conduits with both symmetrical inputs and outputs like PT8P, the resulting pair of conduits will have outputs in the same number of ticks, but they will be either F and Fx (F*), L, Rx, R and Lx (T), or B and Bx (B*).


So for example, take this conduit:

x = 15, y = 27, rule = B3/S23 o9b2o$3o4b2o2bo$3bo2bo2b2o$2b2o3b2o2b3o$9bobo2bo$9bo3b2o$10bo$9b2o5$3b 3o$5bo$3b3o9$2b2o$3bo$3o$o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 8 GPS 15 ]]
(click above to open LifeViewer)
RLE: here Plaintext: here

It takes a Pi-heptomino (P) and in 35 generations it changes it into a Wing (W) facing forward (F) relative to the input, which makes this conduit PF35W.

Creating a useful conduit

To make it more likely that a new elementary conduit will be useful, the following should be true:

  • The output should have enough clearance that it doesn't hit a catalyst before it can be perturbed.
  • The input should have enough clearance that an object can get there. Some active objects, like B-heptominoes, usually come from certain directions, so make sure that direction isn't blocked.
  • The input reaction is common enough. For example, there are a lot more U-turner input conduits than output conduits, but as more U-turner output conduits get found, the input conduits become more useful.
  • The input and output reactions expand enough. Honey farms don't expand much and don't have that much use in conduits (with some known exceptions, like composite honeyfarm-involving H-to-Gs[3][4] or a potentially useful honeyfarm eater that works in all eight orientations[5]). Similarly, lumps of muck may appear useful, but they expand symmetrically from the origin rather than moving in one direction and aren't used in conduits much.

Finding a conduit that outputs a given methuselah is generally harder than finding a conduit accepting a given input. There is no known efficient way to search for a specific output reaction, other than searching for any output and filtering by the output later.[6]

For general help with finding new conduits, see Tutorials/Finding conduits.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dave Greene (August 8, 2022). Re: Thread for your periodic conduits that do not necessarily involve Herschels (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  2. ↑ Freywa (December 7, 2018). Re: The Hunting of the Elementary Conduits (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  3. ↑ Sphenocorona (November 19, 2022). Re: H-to-G and H-to-Gn converter collection (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  4. ↑ EvinZL (February 20, 2023). Re: H-to-G and H-to-Gn converter collection (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  5. ↑ cvojan (June 21, 2022). Re: The Hunting of the Elementary Conduits (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  6. ↑ Dave Greene (October 13, 2022). Re: Thread for basic questions (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums

Forum threads

Working conduits

Incomplete conduits

Reactions and signals

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