}}'''Primer''' is a [[pattern]] that was constructed by [[Dean Hickerson]] on November 1, [[:Category:Patterns found in 1991|1991]] that produces a stream of [[lightweight spaceship]]s representing prime numbers. N is prime if and only if a lightweight spaceship escapes to the left of the [[pentadecathlon]] at the bottom-left corner of the pattern at [[generation]] 120N+100.<ref>PRIMES.LIF from [[Alan Hensel]]'s [http://www.ibiblio.org/lifepatterns/ lifep.zip pattern collection]. Accessed on July 28, 2009.</ref><ref>four-primers.rle.gz from [[Golly]]'s built-in pattern catalogue. Accessed on July 28, 2009.</ref> It was the first pattern created that computes prime numbers, though others have since been constructed using the same ideas (see [[glider gunless primer]]).
'''Primer''' is a [[pattern]] that was constructed by [[Dean Hickerson]] on November 1, [[:Category:Patterns found in 1991|1991]] that produces a stream of [[lightweight spaceship]]s representing prime numbers. N is prime if and only if a lightweight spaceship escapes to the left of the [[pentadecathlon]] at the bottom-left corner of the pattern at [[generation]] 120N+100.<ref>PRIMES.LIF from [[Alan Hensel]]'s [http://www.ibiblio.org/lifepatterns/ lifep.zip pattern collection]. Accessed on July 28, 2009.</ref><ref>four-primers.rle.gz from [[Golly]]'s built-in pattern catalogue. Accessed on July 28, 2009.</ref> It was the first pattern created that computes prime numbers, though others have since been constructed using the same ideas (see [[glider gunless primer]]).
It works by using [[glider]]s to emulate a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieve_of_Eratosthenes prime number sieve]. Lightweight spaceships that move westward are deleted by gliders that represent positive integers if the lightweight spaceship represents a multiple of that number.
It works by using [[glider]]s to emulate a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieve_of_Eratosthenes prime number sieve]. Lightweight spaceships that move westward are deleted by gliders that represent positive integers if the lightweight spaceship represents a multiple of that number.
Primer is a pattern that was constructed by Dean Hickerson on November 1, 1991 that produces a stream of lightweight spaceships representing prime numbers. N is prime if and only if a lightweight spaceship escapes to the left of the pentadecathlon at the bottom-left corner of the pattern at generation 120N+100.[1][2] It was the first pattern created that computes prime numbers, though others have since been constructed using the same ideas (see glider gunless primer).
It works by using gliders to emulate a prime number sieve. Lightweight spaceships that move westward are deleted by gliders that represent positive integers if the lightweight spaceship represents a multiple of that number.
