Eye of Sauron[1] (systematic name 44P12.3) is a period-12 oscillator discovered by Nicolay Beluchenko on March 26, 2009.[2][3]
It is commonly used as a sparker, for example in some variants of p48 pi-heptomino hassler and pi orbital. On January 12, 2019, Tanner Jacobi used it along with dueling banjos, a heavyweight emulator variant, and pipsquirter 1 to build a period-24 glider gun which was then optimized by Matthias Merzenich the next day to be smaller than the previous record holder.[4][5]
Martin Grant found a 81-glider synthesis for this oscillator in 2015,[6] improving over an earlier known 142-glider synthesis listed on Mark Niemiec's Life Page. This was improved to 79 gliders by Matti Ward on February 17, 2018,[7] followed by 62 gliders in June 2019 due to incremental reductions by Jeremy Tan, BlinkerSpawn, Goldtiger997, and Luka Okanishi.[8][9] GUYTU6J reduced the synthesis further to 54 gliders in February 2020 by improving the cost of starting still life.[10] In 2022, a new improvement to another base still life lowers the cost to 45 gliders.[11] In June 2025, the cost was lowered to 43 gliders.[12]
References
- ↑ Jeremy Tan (June 10, 2019). Re: Synthesizing Oscillators (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ New Oscillators at Game of Life News. Posted by Heinrich Koenig on April 14, 2009.
- ↑ Jason Summers' pattern collections.
- ↑ Tanner Jacobi (January 12, 2019). Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ Matthias Merzenich (January 13, 2019). Re: Execution of Old Guns by Variable-Speed Firing Squad (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ Martin Grant (January 5, 2015). Re: Synthesising Oscillators (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ Matti Ward (February 17, 2018). Re: Synthesising Oscillators (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ BlinkerSpawn (June 10, 2019). Re: Synthesising Oscillators (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ Luka Okanishi (June 14, 2019). Re: Synthesising Oscillators (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ GUYTU6J (February 26, 2020). Re: Soup-based syntheses (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
- ↑ The Catagolue cost of the oscillator was 54 on November 25, 2022, and 45 gliders on December 5, 2022.
- ↑ shinjuku (#10456963479) (June 25, 2025). Job triggered by Adam P. Goucher at GitLab Catagolue project.
External links
