Brute-forcing an eater 2 seed

[codeholic]

I'm currently running a gencols search in a hope to find a small p2 seed for any eater 2 variant.

I will post interesting byproducts of this search here.

22.249310

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x = 17, y = 11, rule = B3/S23
bo13b2o$obo11bobo$obo11bo$bo11b2o5$10b3o$10bo$11bo!

A pseudo still life consisting of a bi-block and two boats

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x = 10, y = 21, rule = B3/S23
3b2o$3bobo$5bo$5b2o7$2o$obo$bo3$8b2o$8b2o2$2b2o$bobo$3bo!

18.206

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x = 14, y = 10, rule = B3/S23
9b2o$b2o6b2o$o$3bo$b2o2$5b3o$7bo4bo$6bo4bobo$12b2o!

19.34492

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x = 12, y = 12, rule = B3/S23
4bo$3bo$3b3o4bo$9bobo$8bobo$9bo2$2o$2o4b2o$7bo$5bo$5b2o!

[codeholic]

16.36

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x = 17, y = 14, rule = B3/S23
3b2o$3b2o3$14b2o$14bobo$3o12b2o$2bo$bo4$7b2o$7b2o!

[codeholic]

Figure eight

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x = 13, y = 9, rule = B3/S23
b3o$3o$10b2o$10bobo$11bo2$7b3o$7bobo$7bobo!

[codeholic]

16.117

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x = 6, y = 18, rule = B3/S23
3bo$3bo$3bo3$bo$obo$bo2$4bo$3bo$3b3o5$2o$2o!

16.118

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x = 18, y = 12, rule = B3/S23
2b2o$bobo$bo$2o3$3b2o12bo$3b2o10b3o$14bo$9b2o3b2o$9bobo$9bo!

20.3424

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x = 13, y = 23, rule = B3/S23
2o$o$2bo$b2o5$5bo$4bobo$3bo2bo$4b2o3$11bo$10bo$10b3o5$8b2o$8b2o!

[dvgrn]

Figure eight...

Hmm, this brings up some interesting possibilities for constructible circuitry. The smallest known G-to-H converter is a p8 device -- nine still lifes and a figure eight -- much cheaper to construct than a Silver-reflector-based stable G-to-H, and really just as good as a still life from Golly's point of view, since it's a power-of-two period.

Here's an old p8N regulator that uses figure-eight reflectors, for example. If regulator functionality were actually needed in self-constructing circuitry for some reason, it could pretty easily be adjusted to be more Spartan. In its current form it converts arbitrary inputs (in this example from a p1419 gun on the right) into output gliders timed in multiples of 712 (the period of the gun at the bottom with the two Herschel transceivers).

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#C p8N regulator: minimum driving period is 712 generations,
#C minimum safe spacing between input gliders is 1414 generations
#C Dave Greene 2 May 2003
x = 373, y = 254, rule = B3/S23
157booboo37bo$157booboo35b3o$196bo$157b5o24boo8boo$157bo4bo24bo$160bo
bbo23bobo$132bo27boobo24boo$132b3o10boo10bo5boboobo5bo27boo$135bo9boo
9bobo4boboboo5b3o25boo$124boo8bo21bobbobboobo11bo$125bo8bo22boo6bo10b
oo$125bobo9b3o25b3o$126boo6bo5bo27bo33boo$133bo3bo6boo21boo33boo$122b
oo9bo5boobbobbo$122bo10boobobo4bobboo$124boboo7boo5bobboo$123booboo14b
4o$178boo$123booboo50boo$124bobo30boo45boo$124bobo30boo45bo$125bo76bob
o$202boo$135boo$135boo$$154boo$154bo$155bo$154boo3$149boo$149bobo32boo
bo$151bo32boboo$151boo$$200boobo$200boboo$$193boo$193boo$141boo$141boo
$$132boobo$132boboo88boo$224boo$183boo$74bo77boo30bo$152bo31bobo35boo$
72bob3o73bobo32boo35boo$74boobo8bo63boo57boo$74boboo6b3o123bo$75b3obo
3bo126bobo$83boo51boo73boo46bo$77bo57bobo65boobboo50b3o$81bo15bo37bo
67bo3boo53bo$80bobo13bobo35boo65bobo57boo$81boobboo8bo3bo101boo122bo$
85boo7bo3bo186bo37b3o$93bo3bo185b3o13bo22bo$67boo5boo16bo3bo185bo16b3o
20boo$68bo5boo17bobo186boo18bo$68bobo23bo125boo79boo39boo$69boo19bo48b
oo79boo29boo89boo5boo$73boo14bobo48bo110boo96boo$48bo23bobo14boo46b3o$
47b3o23bo19boo42bo$46b3obo17b3o22bobo69boo73bo87boo17boo$47bo3bo8bo10b
o16boo5bo69bo73bobo87bo17boo$48bo3bo5b3o6bo3bo16boo5boo66bobo17boo15b
oo37boo50boo36bobo21boo$49bob3o3bo8bobobbo91boo17bobo15boo46boo41boo
37boo21boo$50b3o4boo5bobbobo112bo65bo19boo$51bo12bo3bo112boo66bo17bobo
$55bo8bo73bo109boo17bo$54bobo8b3o70b3o72boo51boo10boo$55boobboo80bo48b
oo21boo64bo$59boo43bo35boo49bo84b3o9boo32boo$102b3o57boo27bobo82bo11bo
20boo11boo$101bo60bobo27boo95bo20bo$101boo61bo123boo17b3o$86boo76boboo
139bo$81boo4bo51boo18booboboboo$81bo5bobo48bobo18booboo162boo$79bobo6b
oo10bo37bo188bo28boo$79boo18bobo35boo20booboo160b3o29bo$75bo23bobo58bo
bo161bo29bobo$74bobo23bo4boo53bobo191boo$74bobo11boo15bobo49booboo$75b
o8boobobo17bo9bo39bobo65bo$84boobo19boo7b3o40bo26boo35b3o$87bo27bob3o
39boo25boo34bo$87boboo23bo3bo103boo$85boboboo22bo3bo$85boo25b3obo143b
oo$25boo5boo79b3o75boo67boo$26bo5boo80bo76boo$26bobo35boo31boo11bo76b
oo$27boo36bo31boo10bobo75boo$31boo32bobo41boo225boo15boo$30bobo33boo
45boo116boo102bobo15boo$31bo81bobo77boo36boo102bo$84boo22boo5bo77boo
13boo124boo$27boo50boobobbo22boo5boo90bobo$25boboo50booboo123bo$24bo
181boo10boo$27bo51booboo135bo$23boobo53bobobboo129b3o9boo$23boo55bobo
3bo58boo69bo11bo3bo$81bo4bobo56boo7boo73b4o$87boo65bo209boo$152bobo33b
o9bo15boo11b4o133bo$77boo73boo4boo28b3o5b3o15bo12bo3bo130bobo$77bobo4b
o51boo20bo17boo13bo3bo16bobo15boo130boo$79bo3bobo51bo18bobo17bo13boo3b
oo15boo139boo$79boobbobo51bobo16boo19bo175boo$32b3o47booboo51boo36boo$
32b3o262bo$32b3o10bo36booboo189boo19b3o$35b3o5b3o34bobboboo189boo7bo
14bo22bo$35b3o4bo37boo201b3o13boo20b3o13boo$35b3o4boo177boo59bo37bo17b
o$98boo73boo46boo59boo36boo15bo31bo$40bo57bobo72boo69boo91boo28b3o$39b
obo25boo31bo143bobo43boo74bo$40boobboo21boo31boo144bo28b3o12bo75boo$
44boo188boo10boo27bobbo9bobo$144boo88bo40bobbo9boo$79boo59boobboo78boo
9b3o35boobobbo$75boobobo58bobo62boo19bo11bo34bobobobbo50boo$75boobo60b
o23boo19bo6boo11bobo17bo50boobo51boo$78bo59boo23bo18b3o6boo13bo17boo
27boo23bo$57boo19boboo82b3o14bo24boo44bobo18bo3bo91boo$58bo17boboboo8b
o75bo14boo69bo22bo93bobo$58bobo15boo11bobo159boo118bo$59boo4bo23bobo
279boo$64bobo23bo208boo32boo$51boo11bobo18boo212boo11boo20bo$47boobboo
12bo10boo6bobo225bo20bo15boo8boo3boo$46bobo27bobo5bo191boo35b3o17boo
14bo9boo3boo$43boobbo30bo4boo187boobboo37bo34b3o$78b3o190bobo78bo$42bo
3bobboo12boo16bo177boo10bo23boo$41bo4bobbo14bo15boo178bo9boo23bo$40bob
obo5b3o8b3o193b3o36b3o$39bobobo8bo8bo195bo40bo$37bo4bo$37bo3bo$$39boo
14bo$4boo5boo42b3o39bo$5bo5boo45bo36b3o$5bobo49boo35bo$6boo86boo$10boo
10bo7bo46boo$9bobo10boo4b3o47bo$6boobbo11boo3bo50bobo$23bo3boo50boo$5b
o3bo$4bo4bo$3bobobo$bbobobo92boo$o4bo93bobo13bo$o3bo96bo13boo$101boo
11boobo$bboo32boo75bobb3o$36boo74bobobo$24boo85bobobo$23bobbo82b3obbo$
18boo4boo65boo17boboo$17bobo71boobboo14boo$17bo77bobo10bo3bo$16boo54b
oo23bo9bobo$26boo38boo5bo23boo8boo$26bo39bobob3o38boo$27b3o29boo7bobo
40bobo$29bo11boo16boo7boo36boo5bo$37boobboo63boo5boo$36bobo$37bo$33bo$
32b3o4boo$31bob3o3bo$30bo3bo5b3o$29bo3bo8bo$28b3obo$29b3o$30bo$$112boo
$92boo18boo$90bobbo$$90bobbo20boo$91bobbo19boo$92bobo32boo$93bo33bo$
125bobo$24bo27bo9bo29boo31boo$22b3o27b3o5b3o29boo35boo$21bo18boo13bo3b
o69boo$21boo17bo13boo3boo$41bo$40boo$$6boboo$6boobo78bo$87boo27boo$86b
obbo26boo$37boo48boo34boo$37boo83bobbo$8booboo110boo$8bo3bo84bo$9b3o
84bobo$11bobo83boo$12boo74boo$68boo19bo$42bobbobbo6boo11bobo17bo$42b7o
6boo13bo17boo$49boo19boo46boo3boo$44boobbobbo65bobbobboo$44boo3boo46b
oo19boo$79boo17bo13boo6b7o$80bo17bobo11boo6bobbobbo$79bo19boo$79boo55b
o18boo$70boo57boo3bo3bo16bobo$70bobo55b3o3bo22b3o$71bo57bo3bo5boo15bo
3bo$132boo6bo15booboo$140bo$46boo34boo46bo5boboo$46boo34boo46boobbo$
45bo86boo$46boo111boboo$46boo111boobo$$127boo$127bo$92boo14boo3boo13bo
17boo$38boo53bo15bo3bo13boo18bo$38boo50b3o13b3o5b3o27b3o$42boo46bo15bo
9bo27bo$41bobo$41bo$40boo$53boo$53boo3$55boo$55boo!

P8 circuitry could manage slow-salvo construction of still lifes with no problem, since intermediate targets are at most P2 -- you just need four sets of ways to make gliders, for even- and odd-parity gliders on black and white squares, with at least one op in each set.

The problem would be with using p8 circuits to construct more figure eights. To be able to slow-build multiple figure eights synchronized with each other in a Herschel circuit, it might end up being necessary to have sixteen different glider-output elbow ops, eight for each color.

That sounds a bit troublesome -- not as bad as the p30 case would be, but definitely a headache... it's exactly what originally pushed me strongly toward stable (and Spartan) self-constructing circuitry.

It's certainly possible to work around this problem using just the four [even/odd, black/white] op sets, though. Just collect small one-time turner / rephaser constellations to get the seven required timing changes for the figure-eight seed's final trigger glider. Just a question of whether the smaller more efficient p8 circuitry is worth all the extra construction complexity.

16.117...16.118... 20.3424

You seem to have switched from hunting eater2 seeds to looking for dead-spark-coil seeds for constructible Herschel transmitters. The first one in particular looks very usable. I'll have to look again for places where Herschel transmitters and receivers have a clear advantage over plain old Silver reflectors.

[codeholic]

Speaking about non-stable circuitry... I thought about p30 construction arms and came up with an idea (which is probably not new), that bigger variety of glider pairs (or sets) can be obtained just by having some glider hasslers of different period on construction lanes, e. g. of period 8. That's the reason why I opened Glider hasslers topic, that hasn't attracted much attention so far.

I tried to find an (at least theoretically constructible) p8 hassler, that would work only in certain phases, but no luck with common oscillators of period 8 so far

I've just realized, that there is (I'm pretty sure about that) a simple twin-bees-based p46 glider hassler (EDIT: I've found one), that one can use for this purpose. Or, vice versa, one could try p46 circuitry while using the "pentadecathlon buckaroo" for hassling gliders.

P. S. I doubt, that this reaction is new, but it seems strange to me, that it is not mentioned in the wiki, that the twin bees shuttle can convert a glider into a clean Herschel.

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x = 40, y = 15, rule = LifeHistory
21.2A$11.2A7.A.A15.2A$11.2A7.A17.2A$20.3A4$2.D17.3A$D.D17.A17.2A$3D
17.A.A15.2A$D20.2A2$6.2A$7.2A$6.A!