Emulator: Difference between revisions

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m rearrange, add p24 emulators (Raucci's and two different honey farm hasslers), subsection for single-sided clearance-improving mechanisms
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An '''emulator''' is one of the three {{period|4}} [[oscillator]]s that produce [[spark]]s similar to those produced by a [[lightweight spaceship]], [[middleweight spaceship]], or [[heavyweight spaceship]]. They are the [[lightweight emulator]], [[middleweight emulator]], and [[heavyweight emulator]] respectively. It is possible to construct larger emulators, but they require stabilizing objects to suppress their [[egg|non-sparks]] and so are of little use (except for the overweight [[T-nosed p4]]). The three standard emulators were discovered by [[Robert Wainwright]] in June {{year|1980}}. All of the p4 oscillators can eat gliders with their sparks.
An '''emulator''' is one of the three {{period|4}} [[oscillator]]s that produce [[spark]]s similar to those produced by a [[lightweight spaceship]], [[middleweight spaceship]], or [[heavyweight spaceship]]. They are the [[lightweight emulator]], [[middleweight emulator]], and [[heavyweight emulator]] respectively. It is possible to construct larger emulators, but they require stabilizing objects to suppress their [[egg|non-sparks]] and so are of little use (except for the overweight [[T-nosed p4]]). The three standard emulators were discovered by [[Robert Wainwright]] in June {{year|1980}}. All of the p4 oscillators can eat gliders with their sparks.


==Period-4 emulators==
On November 4, 2021, JP21 created a collection of p4 emulators with various height, width, clearance, and presence or absence of side sparks on this page in the oscillator discussion thread on the forums.<ref group=n>{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p      = 137292
|title  = Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread
|author = JP21
|date  = November 4, 2021
}}</ref>
===Single-sided clearance-improving mechanisms===
These are included in this page rather than any for a particular oscillator because they can be applied to any of the three, and may be interchanged and applied simultaneously.
{{EmbedViewer
|rle          = x = 17, y = 11, rule = B3/S23
8b2o4b2o$6bo4bobo2bo$2b2obo8b3o$bob4o5b2o$bobo3b5o2bo$2obo9b2o$3bo2bo$2obobobo$bo2bobo$bob2o$2bo!
|position    = center
|viewerconfig = #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 WIDTH 560 HEIGHT 360 GPS 2 ZOOM 24 AUTOSTART ]]
|caption      = A replacement for one end (or both, in a middle/heavyweight emulator), as used in the [[period-16 glider gun]]}}
==Other emulators==
"Emulator" has occasionally been used to refer to higher-period oscillators that produce sparks similar to other spaceships, but "[[volcano]]" is more commonly used specifically for period 5, or the generic "[[sparker]]" for other periods.
"Emulator" has occasionally been used to refer to higher-period oscillators that produce sparks similar to other spaceships, but "[[volcano]]" is more commonly used specifically for period 5, or the generic "[[sparker]]" for other periods.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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|-
|-
|10 || || [[55P10]]{{refn|group="n"|Is in dual form as a dimer, not known to be monomerisable without reduced clearance.<!--would appreciate investigation-->}}
|10 || || [[55P10]]{{refn|group="n"|Is in dual form as a dimer, not known to be monomerisable without reduced clearance.<!--would appreciate investigation-->}}
|-
|24 || [[p24 lightweight sparker|two honey farm hasslers]] || || {{LinkCatagolue|xp24_wo4ai1ayea1ia4ozx11y0151x4aa4x151y011zxckgks6e6skgkcwckgks6e6skgkczckgo8cf8gog8fc8oggo8cf8gog8fc8ogkczxmqy5qmwmqy5qm|name=Raucci's p24|style=raw}}<ref>{{LinkForumThread|f=2|t=1437|p=137305|title=Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread|author=hotdogPi|date=November 4, 2021|format=ref}}</ref>
|}
|}


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| 7 || [[Period-7 sparkers|121P7, 168P7]] || <span style=color:red>none known</span>
| 7 || [[Period-7 sparkers|121P7, 168P7]] || <span style=color:red>none known</span>
|}
|}
==Period-4 emulator collection==
On November 4, 2021, JP21 created a collection of p4 emulators with various height, width, clearance, and presence or absence of side sparks on this page in the oscillator discussion thread on the forums.<ref group=n>{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p      = 137292
|title  = Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread
|author = JP21
|date  = November 4, 2021
}}</ref>


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 56: Line 69:
==External links==
==External links==
* {{LinkLexicon|lex_e.htm#emulator}}
* {{LinkLexicon|lex_e.htm#emulator}}
==References==
<references group=n />

Revision as of 14:24, 18 March 2024

An emulator is one of the three period-4 oscillators that produce sparks similar to those produced by a lightweight spaceship, middleweight spaceship, or heavyweight spaceship. They are the lightweight emulator, middleweight emulator, and heavyweight emulator respectively. It is possible to construct larger emulators, but they require stabilizing objects to suppress their non-sparks and so are of little use (except for the overweight T-nosed p4). The three standard emulators were discovered by Robert Wainwright in June 1980. All of the p4 oscillators can eat gliders with their sparks.

Period-4 emulators

On November 4, 2021, JP21 created a collection of p4 emulators with various height, width, clearance, and presence or absence of side sparks on this page in the oscillator discussion thread on the forums.[n 1]

Single-sided clearance-improving mechanisms

These are included in this page rather than any for a particular oscillator because they can be applied to any of the three, and may be interchanged and applied simultaneously.

x = 17, y = 11, rule = B3/S23 8b2o4b2o$6bo4bobo2bo$2b2obo8b3o$bob4o5b2o$bobo3b5o2bo$2obo9b2o$3bo2bo$2obobobo$bo2bobo$bob2o$2bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 WIDTH 560 HEIGHT 360 GPS 2 ZOOM 24 AUTOSTART ]]
A replacement for one end (or both, in a middle/heavyweight emulator), as used in the period-16 glider gun
(click above to open LifeViewer)

Other emulators

"Emulator" has occasionally been used to refer to higher-period oscillators that produce sparks similar to other spaceships, but "volcano" is more commonly used specifically for period 5, or the generic "sparker" for other periods.

Known emulators at periods ten and below:
Period Lightweight Middleweight Heavyweight
4 Lightweight emulator Middleweight emulator Heavyweight emulator
5 Toaster Middleweight volcano

86P5, 148P5, 256P5

6 262P6 98P6, 84P6[n 2] 64P6, 92P6, 103P6
7 Meatball , 34P7 120P7[n 3] 754P7
8 Kok's galaxy[n 4] 209P8 180P8
9 Worker bee[n 5] none known 104P9
10 55P10[n 6]
24 two honey farm hasslers Raucci's p24[1]

Half-emulator

A half-emulator has one side spark but not the other.

Known half-emulators at periods below eight
Period Middleweight Heavyweight
4 Ellison p4 MW emulator Ellison p4 HW emulator
5 63P5 p5 used in p55 gun[n 7]
6 71P6 (Extrementhusiast's p6), 78P6 104P6[2][n 8]
7 121P7, 168P7 none known

Notes

  1. JP21 (November 4, 2021). Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  2. Found by JP21
  3. While 120P7 does produce three cells connected by knights' moves in a certain way, all three of which die by the next generation, one of the cells not in the domino spark has one neighbor instead of zero, that neighbor cells does not die right away, and it contributes to another cell being born in the same general location as the spark by the next generation, so 120P7 can only function as a middleweight emulator in certain contexts.
  4. While Kok's galaxy does produce two cells that are three cells apart orthogonally that die during the next generation from underpopulation, one of those cells has one neighbor instead of zero, and that neighbor cell does not die right away, so Kok's galaxy can only function as a lightweight emulator in certain contexts.
  5. While a worker bee does produce two cells that are three cells apart orthogonally that die during the next generation from underpopulation, each of those cells has one neighbor instead of zero, those neighbor cells do not die right away, and they contribute to other cells being born in the same general location as the spark by the next generation, so a worker bee can only function as a lightweight emulator in certain contexts.
  6. Is in dual form as a dimer, not known to be monomerisable without reduced clearance.
  7. There is a lower-clearance variant with a 1-cell-thinner bounding box, shown in p5 quinti-Snark
  8. Could be described as Extrementhusiast's other p6, to disambiguate between it and the 71P6

References

  1. hotdogPi (November 4, 2021). Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  2. Extrementhusiast (April 24, 2023). Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums