ConwayLife.com

Posted: **September 16th, 2010, 8:54 pm**

I'm astonished it's not on the wiki... What is it?

Posted: **September 17th, 2010, 2:14 am**

There are three unique two-glider collisions capable of producing the B-heptomino; a third glider on no fewer than 24 unique paths can remove the extra block.

Posted: **September 17th, 2010, 8:08 am**

Or if you don't mind a catalyzed synthesis, there are lots more possibilities with two or three gliders. A two-glider B-heptomino can be converted to a clean Herschel by a snake-block combination. Or two gliders can produce a boat or beehive or other still life, and one more glider converts that into an R-pentomino, which can be converted into a clean B-heptomino by a single boat (or half a dozen other things). See the top center pattern below for an example.

Code: Select all

x = 119, y = 89, rule = LifeHistory
34.4B$33.6B20.4B$33.8B19.4B$33.10B5.7B.B4.4B$33.5B.4B5.13B.4B$33.2BC
10BD26B$33.2B2C10BD21BD4B$33.B2C11B2D18B3D4B$33.13B2D2B2A15BDBD4B$34.
12BD3B2A15BD6B$35.B2.19B3.2B2.10B4.A$38.2B3.B2.10B11.7B3.A.A$39.AB6.
6B16.5B3.A.A$38.A.A7.3B19.4B4.A$38.2A8.B$47.2A$47.A$48.A$47.2A25$59.A
$28.AB28.B.A$28.ABA27.3A28.2A$13.2A13.2A29.B28.B2AB$12.B2AB73.3B$13.
3B60.2A12.B$2A12.B62.A6.B4.3B$.A6.B4.3B61.A.AB.5B.5B$.A.AB.5B.5B61.2A
B.11B$2.2AB.11B63.14B$4.14B62.14B$4.14B62.14B$4.14B63.13B$5.13B64.12B
$6.13B63.11B$6.12B64.13B$6.13B63.14B$6.14B62.14B$6.14B62.15B$6.15B61.
15B3.2A$5.16B3.2A56.16B3.A$5.17B3.A56.2B3D12B2.A.AB$4.2A2B3D12B2.A.AB
53.4BD12B3.A.AB.B$4.2A4BD12B3.A.AB.B50.2B3D11B5.A3B2A$5.3B3D11B5.A3B
2A49.14B6.3B.B2A$5.15B6.3B.B2A49.10B10.2B3.B$6.10B10.2B3.B50.11B.2B.
3B.4B$6.11B.2B.3B.4B53.30B$6.30B46.13B2A11BD4B$6.13B2A11BD4B46.12B2A
9B3D4B$7.12B2A9B3D4B48.21BDBD4B$9.21BDBD4B46.23BD6B$7.23BD6B46.2A.11B
2.2B2.10B4.A$7.2A.11B2.2B2.10B4.A42.A2.9B10.7B3.A.A$8.A2.9B10.7B3.A.A
38.3A3.9B12.5B3.A.A$5.3A3.9B12.5B3.A.A38.A4.8B15.4B4.A$5.A4.8B15.4B4.
A43.2AB.4B$9.2AB.4B67.A.AB.2B2AB$8.A.AB.2B2AB66.A6.2A$8.A6.2A66.2A$7.
2A3$61.B3A$62.B.A$63.A!

There are several direct two-glider-to-R-pentomino syntheses, as well, and a two-glider-to-pi-heptomino option (see above) -- but that's getting a little far-fetched. Depends on what you're using the Herschel for, of course -- catalysts are obviously no good in a mobile converter, but a lot of Herschels end up in conduits anyway -- might as well take advantage of the available technology right from the start.

On the other hand, if you wanted to cheat like this, you could just use one glider and a standard glider-to-Herschel converter...!

ConwayLife.com

Synthesis of a Herschel

Synthesis of a Herschel

Re: Synthesis of a Herschel

Re: Synthesis of a Herschel