Catacryst

Catacryst
x = 2555, y = 1772, rule = B3/S23 2350bo204b$2350bo204b$2348b2o205b$2347bo207b$2347bo207b$2347bo207b$ 2347bo207b6$2377bo177b$2376b2o177b$2374bo2bo177b2$2374bobo178b$2375bo 179b133$2552b2ob$2553b2o$2553bob29$2538bo16b$2537bobo15b$2539bo15b$ 2540bo14b1489$1201bo1353b$1201bo1353b$1202b2o1351b$1204bo1350b$1204bo 1350b$1204bo1350b$1204bo1350b17$1180b2o1373b$1182bo1372b$1182bo1372b$ 1183b4o1368b50$3bo2551b$2b2o2551b$o2bo2551b2$obo2552b$bo2553b11$30bo 2524b$30bo2524b$28b2o2525b$27bo2527b$27bo2527b$27bo2527b$27bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]]
View static image
Pattern type	Miscellaneous
Number of cells	58
Bounding box	2555 × 1772
Static symmetry	Unspecified
Discovered by	Nick Gotts
Year of discovery	2000
Pattern files RLE catacryst.rle

Catacryst is a 58-cell quadratic growth pattern found by Nick Gotts in April 2000. This was formerly the smallest known pattern with superlinear growth, but has since been superseded by the related metacatacryst and 26-cell quadratic growth. The catacryst consists of three arks plus a glider-producing switch engine. It produces a block-laying switch engine every 47616 generations. Each block-laying switch engine has only a finite life, but the length of this life increases linearly with each new switch engine, so that the pattern overall grows quadratically, as an unusual type of MMS breeder.

Image gallery

• 
  Generation 1,000,000 of catacryst
• 
  The top portion of the catacryst (an ark)
• 
  The top-right portion of the catacryst (a glider-producing switch engine)
• 
  The bottom-middle portion of the catacryst (an ark)
• 
  The bottom-left portion of the catacryst (an ark)

External links

• Catacryst at the Life Lexicon