Idea: Flying Universal Constructor

[erictom333]

So I've got an idea for a universal constructor that is always moving. It would be constructed out of Corderships moving at c/12 NE. Here's a rough draft:

Code: Select all

x = 243, y = 206, rule = LifeHistory
143.7F$149.F$148.2F$148.F$148.F$148.F$147.2F$147.F$147.F$147.F$146.F
6$166.A58.2D$165.A.A57.2D$164.2A.2A$149.2A16.2A$148.A2.A9.2A$147.A2.A
12.A2.3A$161.2A.A$163.A2.A51.2D$151.A11.A54.2D$147.A3.2A11.2A$146.2A
3.A$141.2A3.2A.A.A13.A$141.2A3.2A3.A11.2A.2A$148.3A13.A$148.3A16.A$
165.A2$150.2A$150.3A$152.2A$153.2A50.2D$152.A.2A49.2D$153.2A$153.A7.A
11.A$158.A.A.2A7.2A.2A$151.A5.A5.2A6.2A$150.2A11.A9.3A$150.A.A4.2A3.A
6.A3.A$161.A8.A3.A$169.A.3A$107.2F61.2A24.A$106.F2.2F59.A.A22.A.A$
105.F65.A22.2A.2A41.2F$104.F66.2A6.2A16.2A40.F.F$104.F66.3A4.A2.A9.2A
45.F2.F$104.4F62.2A.2A2.A2.A12.A2.3A38.2F2.F$107.2F61.3A2.A15.2A.A41.
F2.F.F$108.F65.2A17.A2.A42.F.F$108.F72.A11.A45.3F$108.F68.A3.2A11.2A
43.2F$108.F32.8D27.2A3.A57.2F$108.F39.D27.2A.A.A13.A43.F.F$104.4F40.D
27.2A3.A11.2A.2A41.F.2F$147.2D29.3A13.A44.F2.F$146.3D29.3A16.A41.F2.F
$145.2D.D46.A43.F2.F$144.D3.D91.3F$143.2D3.D$142.D5.D32.A$142.D37.3A$
141.D37.A$140.D37.2A.2A$139.D39.2A.2A$138.D40.2A.2A7.2A$137.D41.A2.A
8.2A$136.D42.3A$135.D44.2A$135.D$134.D25.2D$133.D26.2D$133.D$131.2D
50.2A$130.D52.2A$129.D$128.D$128.D24.2D$127.D25.2D$126.D$126.D$125.D$
124.D$123.D$122.D$120.2D$119.D$119.D$118.D$116.2D$115.D$115.D22.2D$
114.D23.2D$53.3F57.D$52.2F.F55.2D$52.F2.F54.D$52.F2.F53.D$51.F3.F52.D
$51.F3.F3.F48.D21.2D$51.9F47.D22.2D$55.F51.D$55.F50.D$55.F$55.F26.A$
54.F26.A.A40.2D$54.F69.2D$72.3A.A3.A2.A$76.A4.A$73.A.A.2A.A$74.A3.2A$
61.2A15.A39.2D$61.2A55.2D3$166.F$165.F$97.A.A65.F$100.A63.F$53.2A41.A
2.A63.F$53.2A40.A.A65.F$94.A67.F$93.3A66.F.2F$95.A66.F2.2F$96.2A64.F
3.F$95.A66.F3.F$94.A2.A64.F3.F$45.2A48.A.A64.F3.F$45.2A40.A9.A64.F2.
2F$85.2A.2A72.F.F$87.A20.A53.2F$107.A.A2$85.2A11.3A.A3.A2.A$84.A2.A
14.A4.A$83.A3.2A10.A.A.2A.A$83.A4.A11.A3.2A$55.3A26.A3.A15.A$54.A3.A
11.A13.A2.A$56.2A11.A.A14.A$51.2A.2A$52.2A19.A$70.A3.A$70.A2.A$64.A4.
2A.2A$63.A.A4.A.A$63.A.A5.A25.A$62.A2.A29.3A$62.A.A29.A3.A6.A$61.A32.
A4.3A3.A$61.2A31.2A.A.3A3.A$62.A33.A3.2A3$47.D$46.D$46.D$45.D53.2A$
44.D54.2A$44.D$43.D$42.D$26.2F13.D$25.F.F12.D40.3A$27.F12.D39.A3.A$
27.F11.D42.2A7.2A$26.F12.D37.2A.2A9.2A$26.F.F9.D39.2A$26.2F9.D$36.D$
36.D$35.D$35.D$35.D34.2D11.2A$34.D35.2D11.2A$34.D$33.D$32.D$32.D$31.D
32.2D$30.D33.2D$29.D$28.D$27.D$27.D$17.D7.2D31.2D11.2F$17.D6.D33.2D
10.F.F$16.D5.2D48.F$16.D4.2D48.2F$.2F13.D4.D50.F$.2F13.D3.D51.F$F.F
13.D2.D50.3F$2.F13.3D$2.F13.D6.2D$2.F13.7D7$8.2E$8.2E!

The main constructor would be housed in (4). Instructions would be stored as a cycling loop of gliders (5) and blocks (6); the blocks would be copied (3). (7) just turns the gliders into blocks. The constructor would convert the instructions into glider salvos (2), which would be aimed at a blokc (1). Once the desired object has been constructed, a salvo would be fired at the block to turn it into a NE-facing glider, which would be turned back into a block at the constructor so the construction can restart. Ignore (8). With a slight modification, this could be used to make a spaceship that shoots itself, or a quadratic replicator.

[dvgrn]

So I've got an idea for a universal constructor that is always moving. It would be constructed out of Corderships moving at c/12 NE.

This would definitely be nice to have, but it's impressively complicated to make. There's known technology for a traveling information-storage loop with as large a period as you might want, using boats and gliders rather than blocks and gliders.

Here's how it used to be done in 2005; I don't remember if there's some cheaper 2-engine Cordership alternative now. You get a sideways glider output on every cycle unless there's a boat in the diagonal column, and the pattern of boats gets copied forward indefinitely:

Code: Select all

x = 310, y = 296, rule = B3/S23
32bo$31b3o2$31b3o$32b2ob2o$34bo$48b2o$48b2o3$32bo$31bobo$32bo2$31b2o
23b2o$30bobo23b2o$47bo$30b3obobo9bo$34b3o10bo$34b2o3$45bo$24b3o17bob2o
$24b3o17bo$43bo3b2o$24bob2o15bob2o2b3o$24bo3bo14b2o6bo$26b3o21bo2$2bo$
b3o2$b3o$2b2ob2o$4bo$18b2o$18b2o$23b3o$22bo3bo$2bo19bo3bo$bobo17b2ob2o
$2bo20bo2$b2o$obo$19bo$3obobo11bo$4b3o13b2o$4b2o14b2o$21bo$18bo2bo$18b
obo$16b2o$15bo$17bo$6b2o5b4o$6b2o4bo2bo$12bo2bo$13b3o5$14b2o$14b2o114$
281bo$277b4ob2o5b3o$276b2ob3ob2o4b3o$277bob3obo7b2o$278bo3b4o4b2o$281b
2ob3o$282b5o13b2o$283bo16b2o7$308b2o$296b3ob3o5b2o$288bo6b4obo2bo$285b
2o4bo2bobo$280b2o5b2o3bo10bo$280b2o7bob2o3b3o$297b2o2b2o$284bo$283bob
2o$271b5o6bo3bo$269b2o5b2o3bo2b2o$269bo7bo3bobo$269b2o7bo5bo$271b2o6bo
$274bo$274bo4bo$275b2obo8$280b2o$280b2o$264b3o2$265bo$265b2ob3o$264bob
4o$264bob3o$265b3o20b2o$266bo21b2o3$263b2ob2o$263b2ob2o$264bob2o$265b
2o2$254bo$254bo$256bo5bo$255bo6bobo$254bo3bo2bo$255bo2bobob2o$260bob2o
2$230b3o$239bo$232b2o5b3o$232b4o4bo$232b2ob3ob2o$237bobo38bobo$251b2o
25b2o$251b2o26bo2$260b2o$251bo10bo$249b3o3bo4b2o$249b2o4b2o$249b2o2bo
3bo$222bo28bob4o$221b2o18b2o10b3o$221bobo20bo$234bo4b2o4b2o$234bo3b2o
6bo$217b2o15bo2b3o2b2o2bo$217bobo22b2obo9b3o$218bo36bo$252bob2o$246b2o
4b3o$253bo2$239b2o8bo$225b2o12b2o5bo2bo$225bobo20b2o$226bo22bo$238bo
12bo$237b2o10b3o$237bobo10bo3$233b2o$233bobo$234bo27bobo$262b2o$263bo
7$254bo$253b2o$253bobo3$249b2o$249bobo$250bo!

The tough part is your #2, "The constructor would convert the instructions into glider salvos". It's not trivial to convert a pattern of cycling gliders -- where each glider can be either present or absent once every 96 ticks, or every 192 ticks or whatever -- into a decision about whether to fire a backwards glider on one of several lanes.

Seems like you'll need enough different lanes to be able to run a "slow^2 elbow"... which I suppose means making copies of every glider that comes out of the information storage loop, and having those copies interact with copies of preceding and following gliders, in such a way that different binary patterns produce gliders on different lanes. Some of the minimalist encoding technology from RCT mechanisms might help here in theory (though maybe not in practice!)

I think the last time this topic came up was in the Basic Questions thread, back in January. It would definitely be interesting if all the practical details could be worked out, whether at c/12 diagonal, c/10 orthogonal, 2c/7 orthogonal (Discord discussion last December), or whatever.

Making a moving UC is quite a bit simpler if you start from a Speed Demonoid base. You instantly get the ability to splice in as much single-channel "DNA" as you want -- you can compile a recipe for any structure you want with slsparse and splice it in, and it will get built every cycle... once on each side, unfortunately, so you have to pick one of several methods to suppress the construction on one side but allow it on the other, or build a "Speed Geminoid" that doesn't have the mirror-image duplication problem.

Putting together a Geminoid-based UC design seems quite a lot simpler than working out all the tricky details at c/12, c/10 or 2c/7, using great heaping piles of the spaceships that travel at those speeds rather than cheating and matching the speed artificially with Speed Demonoid technology... but I'm quite regularly wrong about this kind of thing.

[erictom333]

So I've got an idea for a universal constructor that is always moving. It would be constructed out of Corderships moving at c/12 NE.

This would definitely be nice to have, but it's impressively complicated to make. There's known technology for a traveling information-storage loop with as large a period as you might want, using boats and gliders rather than blocks and gliders.

Here's how it used to be done in 2005; I don't remember if there's some cheaper 2-engine Cordership alternative now. You get a sideways glider output on every cycle unless there's a boat in the diagonal column, and the pattern of boats gets copied forward indefinitely:

Code: Select all

x = 310, y = 296, rule = B3/S23
32bo$31b3o2$31b3o$32b2ob2o$34bo$48b2o$48b2o3$32bo$31bobo$32bo2$31b2o
23b2o$30bobo23b2o$47bo$30b3obobo9bo$34b3o10bo$34b2o3$45bo$24b3o17bob2o
$24b3o17bo$43bo3b2o$24bob2o15bob2o2b3o$24bo3bo14b2o6bo$26b3o21bo2$2bo$
b3o2$b3o$2b2ob2o$4bo$18b2o$18b2o$23b3o$22bo3bo$2bo19bo3bo$bobo17b2ob2o
$2bo20bo2$b2o$obo$19bo$3obobo11bo$4b3o13b2o$4b2o14b2o$21bo$18bo2bo$18b
obo$16b2o$15bo$17bo$6b2o5b4o$6b2o4bo2bo$12bo2bo$13b3o5$14b2o$14b2o114$
281bo$277b4ob2o5b3o$276b2ob3ob2o4b3o$277bob3obo7b2o$278bo3b4o4b2o$281b
2ob3o$282b5o13b2o$283bo16b2o7$308b2o$296b3ob3o5b2o$288bo6b4obo2bo$285b
2o4bo2bobo$280b2o5b2o3bo10bo$280b2o7bob2o3b3o$297b2o2b2o$284bo$283bob
2o$271b5o6bo3bo$269b2o5b2o3bo2b2o$269bo7bo3bobo$269b2o7bo5bo$271b2o6bo
$274bo$274bo4bo$275b2obo8$280b2o$280b2o$264b3o2$265bo$265b2ob3o$264bob
4o$264bob3o$265b3o20b2o$266bo21b2o3$263b2ob2o$263b2ob2o$264bob2o$265b
2o2$254bo$254bo$256bo5bo$255bo6bobo$254bo3bo2bo$255bo2bobob2o$260bob2o
2$230b3o$239bo$232b2o5b3o$232b4o4bo$232b2ob3ob2o$237bobo38bobo$251b2o
25b2o$251b2o26bo2$260b2o$251bo10bo$249b3o3bo4b2o$249b2o4b2o$249b2o2bo
3bo$222bo28bob4o$221b2o18b2o10b3o$221bobo20bo$234bo4b2o4b2o$234bo3b2o
6bo$217b2o15bo2b3o2b2o2bo$217bobo22b2obo9b3o$218bo36bo$252bob2o$246b2o
4b3o$253bo2$239b2o8bo$225b2o12b2o5bo2bo$225bobo20b2o$226bo22bo$238bo
12bo$237b2o10b3o$237bobo10bo3$233b2o$233bobo$234bo27bobo$262b2o$263bo
7$254bo$253b2o$253bobo3$249b2o$249bobo$250bo!

Great. Five of those (with mostly boats in circulation), plus five edgy salvo builders that make salvos (push, pull, fire black glider, fire white glider, convert block to edgy NE glider), plus something that turns the edgy NE glider back into two blocks. Put them together and boom, flying universal constructor.

[dvgrn]

Five of those (with mostly boats in circulation), plus five edgy salvo builders that make salvos (push, pull, fire black glider, fire white glider, convert block to edgy NE glider), plus something that turns the edgy NE glider back into two blocks. Put them together and boom, flying universal constructor.

True enough! But what a world of pain is contained in those words "Put them together".

You mentioned a "slight modification" that could create a spaceship that makes copies of itself, or a quadratic replicator, but it seems to me that making synchronized copies of five moving data streams while the whole thing is in motion is quite a bit more than a slight modification. (?)

[otismo]

Love the Idea !

Wish I was up to the challenge myself - maybe someday...

Quick Question : is there an "eater" Cordership that would take care of the stray Gliders in the pattern above ?

Thank You !

Cheers !

[dvgrn]

Quick Question : is there an "eater" Cordership that would take care of the stray Gliders in the pattern above ?

Sure -- almost any Cordership has plenty of different sparks that can be used to suppress a sideways glider. Here's a 2EC doing the job, for example:

Code: Select all

x = 235, y = 472, rule = B3/S23
50bo$46b5o7b2o$46bo3bobo4b3o$46b3o3b3o3b3o$52b2o2b3o$52bo$49b3o16b2o$
49b2o17b2o7$76b2o$76b2o$64bob4o$49bo3b3obo6b2o4bo$48bobo3bobobo5bo3bob
2o$48bob7ob2o5b3obo$49b3ob2o3bo$55b3o$56bo$40b2obo7b2o$39b3obo6bo2bo$
38bo4bobo4bo$39b2o6bobo3bo$40bo3bo2bo2b2o$43bob2o3bo$42bobo$20bo21bobo
$16b5o7b2o$16bo3bobo4b3o$16b3o3b3o3b3o$22b2o2b3o$22bo16b3o$19b3o16bo3b
o$19b2o20b2o$38b5o$40b2o$40b3o$40b2o3$35b3o$34bo2bo$33bo3bo3bo$19bo3b
3obo4bo2bo5bobo$18bobo3bobobo3bo8b2o$18bob7ob2o3bo$19b3ob2o3bo$25b3o$
26bo4$26b2o$26b2o4$37b2o$37bobo$38bo5$36b2o$45b2o$45bobo$46bo6$53b2o$
53bobo$54bo144b3o2$197bo5bo$197b7o12bo$199bo17b2o$199bo3bo13b2o$61b2o
135bo17b2obo$61bobo135bo18b3o$62bo10bo126bo4bo11bob2o$72b2o126bo4bo11b
2o$72bobo124b2obobo12bo6b2o$198bobo23b2o$199bo7$214b3o15bo$216bo10bobo
bob2o$215bo2bo8bob3ob2o$193bo10bobo9b2ob2o6bo5b2o$193bo10bob4o7bo11b4o
$89bo103bo11b3o2b2ob3obo2bo9b2o$88b2o100bob3obo11bobo2b4o3bo$88bobo99b
ob5o13bobo7bo$194bobo13bob4o4bo$191b2o19b2o2bo3b2o$191b2o16bo2bo5bobo$
192bo26bo$192b2o15bo$193bo3b2o11b2o$193bo$191bob2o$192bo5$105bo80bo$
104b2o80bo5b3o$104bobo78bobo3b2o2bo8b2o$186bo3bo5bo7b2o$186bo3bo$191bo
2b2o$192b2o4$212b2o$212b2o4$199bo$200b2o$201b2o$185b2o4bo11bo$173bo17b
2o5b5o$172b3o9bo3bo12bo$171b2ob2o12bo$170b2o3bo8bo3bo$171bobobobo5bo3b
o$172b2obo2bo7bo$175b2obo5b2o$150bo25b2o$149bobo$148bo3bo13b3o$148bo3b
o8bo$148bobob3o4b2ob3o$149b2obo2bo5bob2o$153bobo8bo$153b2o11bo2bo$166b
3o11$155b2o$155b2o7$163b2o$163b2o255$14bo$13b2o$12b5o$11bo19bo$10b2o5b
o13bo$9b3ob2o8bobo5bo$10bobob2o2b2o3bobo$11bo2bo2b2o5bo$13b2o$15b2obo
20b2o$18bo12b3o5b2o$29b2o2bo$b3o26b3o$bobo27bo$bobo14b2o$bo4b2o9bo2bo$
3o3b2o10b3o$6bo12b2o$2b4o13bo$3b2o12bob2o$3bo13b4o21b2o$17bobobo$4bo
13b2ob2o$2bobo12bo3bo24bobo$b4o13b3o26bo$b3o15bo$3bo4$16b3o$17bobo$16b
o2bo$16bo2bo$6b2o8bobo$6b2o8bo2bo$17b2o$18bo5$14b2o$14b2o!

[otismo]

@ dvgrn

I appreciate that - and tried it out on this :

Code: Select all

x = 138, y = 160, rule = B3/S23
122bo$122b2o$121b2obo$120b2o2bo$119b3ob4o$118b2o2bobo2bo$118b3obobobo$
118bob3ob2o$117bobo2b4o$118bo3bo$118bo3bo$105b2o12bo2bo$105b2o4$120b2o
3$97b2o$97b2o$115b2o$114bo2bo16b3o$113b2o2bo4b3o$114b2o2bo16bo$115b4o
11b3ob2o$131b4obo$132b3obo$133b3o$134bo3$133b2ob2o$133b2ob2o$133b2obo$
134b2o9$115bo14b2o$112b4o14b2o$113b2o2$117b2o$114b2ob2o$117b2o$117bobo
$114b6o2b2o$117bo4b2o$110b3o$112bo$111bo14$94b3o$53bo42bo$45bo7b2o40bo
$44bobo2b3obobo$45bo3b2o3b3o$46bobob2obobo$50b2ob2o$45bob5obo$33b2o11b
4o$33b2o3$56bo$55b4o3b3o$54b2ob2o3bobo$59bo2b3o$25b2o27bo3b2o18b3o$25b
2o23bo4b4o21bo$38bobo6bo7b3o21bo$36bobobo11bo$34b2o10bo2bo3bo$36bo10bo
2b3o$47bo3bo$48b2o$49bo3$49bo$47b3o9b2o21bo$47b3o7bobobo20bo$46bo3bo5b
2o3bo20bo$47b4o8b2o17b2o$47b2obo7b3o3b2o12b2o$65b2o11b3o3bo$65bo15b3o$
24b3o37b3o15bo$24bobo37b3o15b2o$23bo3bo36bo16b3o$23bo3bo35bo2bo14bo10b
o$8b2o17bo36b3o16bo8bo$8b2o11b2o4bo37bo15bo9bobo$20bo6bo24b2o21b2o4b3o
4bo2b2o$20bo5bo24b4o19bo2bo9bo5bo$25b2o23bo2b5o17b2o10bo5bo$20bo3bo26b
o3b2o2bo15bo12bo4bo$9b2o10bobo28b4o4b2o13bo13bo$9bo31bo10b2o19bob2o13b
3o$2o6b3o22bo7bo24bobo7b2o$2o23b2o6b3o5bo23bo2bo4bo$9bo10b3o4bo7bobo3b
2o22bo2bo4b3obo12b2ob2o$8bo11b5obo6bo2bo27bo3bo4bo2bo12bo$8b2o11bob2o
8b2o2bo10b2o15bobo6b3o16b2o$9bo38b2o16bo23b3o2$9bo2bo44b2o$7b4o47bo$
13bo44bobo16b2o$7b2o2b2o46b2o14bo$75bo2bo$11b2o63b2o$12b2o62b2o$8bo2b
2o62bo2bo8b2o$27b2o3b2o15b2o27bo8b2o$26bobo3b4o3bo10bo24b3o$26bo3bo2bo
2b2obo10bobo$17b2o7b2o3bo4b2obo11b2o$17b2o12bo3bo$17b2o11bo2$18bo2b2o
56b2o$19b3o19b2o36b2o$20bo21bo$33b2o7bobo$23bobo7b2o8b2o$22bo$22bo$22b
o$21b2ob2o$22bobo8b2o$23bo10bo$34bobo$35b2o5$25b2o$26bo$26bobo$27b2o!

Have a nice Day !

Cheers !