Glossary of basic terms: Difference between revisions
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{{Glossary}} |
add breeder, conduit and Methuselah |
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{{Glossary}} | {{Glossary}} | ||
This | This page provides very short definitions of a small set of basic terms used in discussing [[Life]] and Life [[pattern]]s. | ||
== Types of patterns == | == Types of patterns == | ||
; [[still life]] : a pattern that does not change from one generation to the next | |||
; [[still life]] : a non-empty pattern that does not change from one generation to the next | |||
; [[eater]] : any still life that has the ability to interact with certain patterns without suffering any permanent damage | |||
; [[oscillator]] : a pattern that repeats itself after a fixed number of generations (known as its [[period]]) | ; [[oscillator]] : a pattern that repeats itself after a fixed number of generations (known as its [[period]]) | ||
; [[spaceship]] : a finite pattern that moves across the grid of cells and repeats itself after a fixed number of generations | |||
; [[spaceship]] : a finite pattern that moves across the grid of cells | ; [[puffer]] : a pattern that moves like a spaceship, except that it leaves [[debris]] behind | ||
; [[puffer]] : a pattern that moves like a spaceship, except that it leaves debris behind | |||
; [[rake]] : a puffer whose debris consists of spaceships | ; [[rake]] : a puffer whose debris consists of spaceships | ||
; [[gun]] : a stationary pattern that repeatedly emits spaceships (or rakes) forever | ; [[gun]] : a stationary pattern that repeatedly emits spaceships (or rakes) forever | ||
; [[breeder]] : a pattern that exhibits unbounded [[quadratic growth]] | |||
; [[conduit]] : an arrangement of still lives and/or oscillators that move an active object to another location without suffering any permanent damage | |||
; [[Methuselah]] : a pattern that takes a large number of [[generation]]s to stabilize (known as its lifespan) and becomes much larger than its initial configuration at some point during its evolution | |||
Revision as of 13:11, 21 April 2020
This page provides very short definitions of a small set of basic terms used in discussing Life and Life patterns.
Types of patterns
- still life
- a non-empty pattern that does not change from one generation to the next
- eater
- any still life that has the ability to interact with certain patterns without suffering any permanent damage
- oscillator
- a pattern that repeats itself after a fixed number of generations (known as its period)
- spaceship
- a finite pattern that moves across the grid of cells and repeats itself after a fixed number of generations
- puffer
- a pattern that moves like a spaceship, except that it leaves debris behind
- rake
- a puffer whose debris consists of spaceships
- gun
- a stationary pattern that repeatedly emits spaceships (or rakes) forever
- breeder
- a pattern that exhibits unbounded quadratic growth
- conduit
- an arrangement of still lives and/or oscillators that move an active object to another location without suffering any permanent damage
- Methuselah
- a pattern that takes a large number of generations to stabilize (known as its lifespan) and becomes much larger than its initial configuration at some point during its evolution