Conway's Game of Life

Pattern Files for Chapter 2: Still Lifes

RLE, Macrocell, or LifeHistory code for all patterns that are displayed as figures in Chapter 2: Still Lifes are provided here. These patterns can be viewed in-browser by clicking on the "Show in Viewer" link near the code, or the patterns can be viewed and manipulated by copying and pasting the RLE code into Game of Life software like Golly.

Figure 2.1: small still lifes

All still lifes with seven or fewer live cells.

Figure 2.2: strict non strict

Three strict still lifes (left) and two non-strict still lifes (right).

Figure 2.3: pseudo not pseudo

The leftmost block is a strict still life, the bi-block is a pseudo still life, and none of the other arrangements of blocks here are pseudo still lifes.

Table 2.1: small still lifes table

A selection of small still lifes. The still lifes on the left are strict, while the ones on the right are pseudo.

Figure 2.4(a): Triple pseudo still life

A 32-cell still life found in 2001 that can be broken down into three stable pieces, but not two.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Triple_pseudo_still_life

Figure 2.4(b): Quad pseudo still life

A 34-cell pseudo still life that can be decomposed into four stable subpatterns, but can not be decomposed into two or three stable subpatterns.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Quad_pseudo_still_life

Figure 2.5: messy pseudo still life

A complicated pseudo still life.

Figure 2.6: tub boat ship

The tub, boat, and ship all belong to simple infinite families of still lifes.

Figure 2.7: snake canoe

The snake and canoe all belong to simple infinite families of still lifes.

Figure 2.9: hook tail examples

Several still lifes that use hooks and/or tails to stabilize their ends.

Figure 2.11: still life path

An example of how an arbitrarily-drawn path of live cells can be stabilized to be part of a still life.

Figure 2.12: 5 cell induction

A row of 5 orthogonally-connected cells can be stabilized by a single cell, like one from a tub or an eater 1.

Figure 2.13: induction coil examples

A pattern that demonstrates many induction coils.

Figure 2.14: eater 1 glider

An eater 1 about to eat a glider.

Figure 2.15: eater 1 multi

Eater 1 about to eat a glider, a middleweight spaceship, a lightweight spaceship, and several other objects.

Figure 2.16(a): Eater 2

A well-known eater and 19-cell still life that can eat gliders that approach it along four different paths.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Eater_2

Figure 2.16(b): Eater 5

A 12-cell still life and eater composed of a tub with tail and a block that is capable of eating gliders that approach from the top-right.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Eater_5

Figure 2.17: Boat-bit

A reaction that shows how a snake can be used to eat two gliders. Later in the book, we will use this reaction to store data in memory.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Boat-bit

Figure 2.18: glider loaf flip

A glider flips a loaf, and then is flipped back by another glider.

Figure 2.19: Eater 3

A 31-cell still life and symmetric eater.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Eater_3

Figure 2.20: glider block move

A glider moves a block, and then it is moved back by another glider.

Figure 2.21: unstable eater 1s

Two eater 1s too close to each other, so they are no longer stable.

Figure 2.22: welded eater 1s

Two welded eater 1s eating two gliders.

Figure 2.24(a): eater constrained eater 5 b

An "almost" eater that isn't quite stable.

Figure 2.24(b): eater constrained done

An eater that eats a glider at its corner.

Figure 2.25(a): Zebra stripes

An infinite still life with density 1/2.

Figure 2.25(b): Chicken wire

An infinite still life with density 1/2.

Figure 2.25(c): Onion rings

An infinite still life with density 1/2.

Table 2.2(2): densest block

A block is the densest 2x2 still life.

Table 2.2(3): densest ship

A ship is the densest 3x3 still life.

Table 2.2(4): densest pond

A pond is the densest 4x4 still life.

Table 2.2(5): densest four blocks

The densest 5x5 still life.

Table 2.2(6): densest 6

The densest 6x6 still life.

Table 2.2(7): densest 7

The densest 7x7 still life.

Table 2.2(8): densest 8

The densest 8x8 still life.

Table 2.2(9): densest 9

The densest 9x9 still life.

Table 2.2(10): densest 10

The densest 10x10 still life.

Figure 2.30: dense oscillator

A period 6 infinite oscillator that has density 3/4 in two of its phases.

Figure 2.33: two tables on block

A 16-cell strict still life that would never be found by a greedy strict still life search.

Figure 2.34: sl hard to find

Two strict still lifes that are hard to find with search software.

Exercise 2.1(a): strict pseudo 1

A still life.

Exercise 2.1(b): strict pseudo 4

A still life.

Exercise 2.1(c): strict pseudo 2

A still life.

Exercise 2.1(d): strict pseudo 5

A still life.

Exercise 2.1(e): strict pseudo 3

A still life.

Exercise 2.1(f): strict pseudo 6

A still life.

Exercise 2.3(a): pseudo 1

A pseudo still life.

Exercise 2.3(b): pseudo 4

A pseudo still life.

Exercise 2.3(c): pseudo 2

A pseudo still life.

Exercise 2.3(d): pseudo 5

A pseudo still life.

Exercise 2.3(e): pseudo 3

A pseudo still life.

Exercise 2.3(f): pseudo 6

A pseudo still life.

Exercise 2.4(a): path 1

A path of live cells that can be stabilized into a still life by making some other cells alive.

Exercise 2.4(b): path 3

A path of live cells that can be stabilized into a still life by making some other cells alive.

Exercise 2.4(c): path 2

A path of live cells that can be stabilized into a still life by making some other cells alive.

Exercise 2.7(a): induction coil 1

An object that can be stabilized with induction coils.

Exercise 2.7(b): induction coil 3

An object that can be stabilized with induction coils.

Exercise 2.7(c): induction coil 2

An object that can be stabilized with induction coils.

Exercise 2.9(a): weld 1

Two gliders to be destroyed by an eater.

Exercise 2.9(b): weld 2

Two gliders to be destroyed by an eater.

Exercise 2.9(c): weld 5

Four gliders that we would like to eat.

Exercise 2.9(d): weld 3

Two gliders to be destroyed by an eater.

Exercise 2.9(e): weld 4

An arrangement of 4 gliders that we would like to eat.

Exercise 2.9(f): weld 6

Several gliders that we would like to eat.

Exercise 2.12: still life impossible

A collection of live cells that cannot be extended to a still life.

Exercise 2.13(a): fast glider eater

A still life that can eat a glider.

Exercise 2.13(b): fast glider eater b

A still life that can eat a glider.

Solution 2.4(a): path 1

A still life.

Solution 2.4(b): path 3

A still life.

Solution 2.4(c): path 2

A still life.

Solution 2.7(a): induction coil 1

A still life stabilized by some induction coils.

Solution 2.7(b): induction coil 3

A still life stabilized by some induction coils.

Solution 2.7(c): induction coil 2

A still life stabilized by some induction coils.

Solution 2.9(a): weld 1

A way of welding two eater 1s.

Solution 2.9(b): weld 2

A way of welding two eater 1s.

Solution 2.9(c): weld 5

An eater eating 4 gliders.

Solution 2.9(d): weld 3

An eater destroying two gliders.

Solution 2.9(e): weld 4

An eater 2 variant that sometimes can be used to construct patterns with smaller bounding boxes.

Solution 2.9(f): weld 6

An eater destroying numerous gliders.

Solution 2.13(a): fast glider eater

A fast-recovering glider eater.

Solution 2.13(b): fast glider eater b

A fast-recovering glider eater.

Solution 2.15: incomplete glider eater

A compact glider eater.