erictom333's still life nomenclature thread

For discussion of specific patterns or specific families of patterns, both newly-discovered and well-known.
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erictom333
Posts: 171
Joined: January 9th, 2019, 2:44 am

erictom333's still life nomenclature thread

Post by erictom333 » November 28th, 2021, 5:24 am

Welcome. I am here to give a deeper understanding into still life grammar and clear up the mess that is still life nomenclature (in that order).
Terminology
Motif: A reoccurring part of a still life.
Island: A part of a still life that is Moore-connected, and not Moore-connected to anything else.
Insular: Being an island.
Inductor/Inducting Coil: An insular motif that, alone, has no cells that would die, but has cells that would be born, and can be stabilised with another still life or inductor.
Inductant: A still life or inductor that can stabilise another inductor.
Open: A cell in a still life with 2 live neighbors.
Closed: A cell in a still life with 3 live neighbors.
Triangle: 3 live cells such that they all neighbor each other, forming a preblock.
Polar: A cell in a still life that is not part of a triangle; a still life or motif or part thereof that is made of polar cells. The still lives shown below are all polar.

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x = 33, y = 24, rule = LifeHistory
23.2A$22.A2.A$9.A12.A.A$3.A4.A.A3.2A4.2A.A$2.A.A2.A.A3.A2.A2.A2.A4.2A
$3.A4.A5.2A4.2A4.A2.A$26.A.A.A$27.A2.A$4.A4.2A5.2A4.2A4.2A$3.A.A2.A2.
A3.A2.A2.A2.A$2.A2.A2.A2.A2.A2.A3.A.A.A$3.2A4.2A4.2A5.A.A.A$23.A2.A$
24.2A$4.2A11.A$3.A2.A9.A.A8.A3.A$3.A2.A8.A.A.A6.A.A.A.A$.2A4.2A5.A2.A
2.A6.A3.A$A8.A3.A.2A.2A.A6.3A$.2A4.2A5.A2.A2.A$3.A2.A8.A.A.A8.3A$3.A
2.A9.A.A8.A3.A$4.2A11.A8.A.A.A.A$27.A3.A!
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Non-polar: A cell in a still life that is part of a triangle; a still life or motif or part thereof that is made of non-polar cells. The still lives shown below are all non-polar.

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x = 35, y = 5, rule = LifeHistory
21.2C8.C2.C$14.2C4.A.C3.A.C2.4C$6.2C5.A.C4.A4.A.2C$2C.C2.C2.C3.C4.C.A
4.C5.4C$C.2C4.2C2.2C4.2C4.2C5.C2.C!
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Semi-polar: A still life that is partly polar and partly non-polar. Examples of semi-polar still lives include the boat family, hat, tub with tail, and loop. The still lives shown below are all non-polar; the polar parts are in white.

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x = 52, y = 7, rule = LifeHistory
26.2A$14.A10.A2.A18.2A$7.2C4.A.A4.2A4.2A6.A5.2A4.A2.A$.A4.A.C3.A.A4.A
2.A10.A.A3.A2.A4.2C.A$C.A2.C.A4.C6.C.A.A2.4C3.C.C4.C.C5.C.C$2C3.2C4.
2C5.2C.A.A2.C2.C2.2C.2C2.2C.2C2.C.A.2C$22.A23.2C!
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Below is a helpful guide, showing what transitions are open, closed, polar, and non-polar. S3a is a special case; it is neither polar nor non-polar.

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x = 65, y = 29, rule = LifeHistory
25.D2.2D2.3D.2D5.2D.D4.D3.2D.3D.2D$24.D.D.D.D.D3.D.D3.D3.D3.D.D.D3.D
3.D.D$24.D.D.2D2.2D2.D.D3.D3.D3.D.D2.D2.2D2.D.D$24.D.D.D3.D3.D.D3.D3.
D3.D.D3.D.D3.D.D$25.D2.D3.3D.D.D4.2D.3D2.D2.2D2.3D.2D2$32.2BA.BAB3.C
2B$12.2D3.D2.D4.D2.2D2.BEB.BEB3.CEB$12.D.D.D.D.D3.D.D.D.D.2BA.2BA3.3B
$12.2D2.D.D.D3.3D.2D$12.D3.D.D.D3.D.D.D.D.BAB.A2B3.BCB$12.D4.D2.3D.D.
D.D.D.BEB.BEB3.CEB$32.BAB.2BA3.3B4$36.BAB3.C2B.C2B.C2B.C2B$2D3.D2.2D
6.2D3.D2.D4.D2.2D2.BEB3.CEB.CEB.CEB.CEA$D.D.D.D.D.D5.D.D.D.D.D3.D.D.D
.D.ABA3.C2B.BCB.2BA.3B$D.D.D.D.D.D.3D.2D2.D.D.D3.3D.2D$D.D.D.D.D.D5.D
3.D.D.D3.D.D.D.D.A2B3.CBA.BCB.BCB$D.D2.D2.D.D5.D4.D2.3D.D.D.D.D.BEB3.
CEB.CEB.CEB$36.ABA3.3B.BCB.2BA4$42.2AB$42.AEB$42.3B!
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erictom333
Posts: 171
Joined: January 9th, 2019, 2:44 am

Re: erictom333's still life nomenclature thread

Post by erictom333 » December 19th, 2021, 1:12 am

Polar Motifs
Fuse: A string of diagonally-connected S2n cells. If both ends lie in the same direction, it is cis, otherwise it is trans. The length of a fuse is measured by the number of S2k cells plus 2.

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x = 30, y = 13, rule = LifeSuper
$.AC.A2.AC5.AC6.AC$.A.CA2.A.C.A2.A.C5.A.C$10.CA5.C.A5.C$18.CA6.C.A$
27.CA2$.2D4.2D7.D5.3D$3.D5.D5.2D5.D$2.D5.D5.3D5.2D$.D7.D6.D7.D$.3D3.
2D7.D5.2D!
Disk: A cis-fuse where both ends are capped with S2c.
Horsehead: A cis-fuse where one end is capped off with S2c and the other with S2k.
Curve: A cis-fuse where both ends are capped with S2k.

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x = 43, y = 30, rule = LifeSuper
35.A$27.A5.3A$25.3A4.C$14.A4.2A3.C3.2A3.C3.2A$3.A4.2A3.A.A2.C2.A3.C2.
A5.C2.A$2.C.A2.C.A2.C.A4.C.A4.C.A6.C.A$3.C4.C4.C6.C6.C8.C4$37.A$35.3A
$34.E$10.A5.2A6.A3.2A5.E$3.2A4.A.A3.A2.A3.3A2.E2.A5.E2.2A$2.E2.A2.E2.
A2.E2.A3.E6.E2.A5.E2.A$3.EA4.EA4.EA5.E2A4.EA7.EA$24.A5$28.2A$3.A5.2A
3.2A.2A3.A.A2.A.A$2.A.A3.A2.A3.A.2A2.A.2A2.G$2.G2.A2.G2.A3.G5.G6.G2.
2A$3.GA4.GA5.G2A3.G2A4.G2.A$18.A5.A5.GA!
(Top: disks; middle: horseheads; bottom: curves)
Shore: Diagonally connected dominoes, like in the pond or lake.
Non-Polar Motifs
Edge: A triangle with (at least) one S2a cell open.
Head: A triangle with the S2c cell open.
Handle: A triangle that is both an edge and a head, with (at least) one S2a cell and the S2c cell open.

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x = 41, y = 24, rule = LifeSuper
2.2A5.2A3.2A6.2E3.2E3.2A$2.A.C4.A2.A2.A6.E.A2.E.E2.A$3.2C5.2C.2C8.A4.
2E3.A2E$5.2C4.C.C21.E$5.C.A3.A.A21.A.A$6.2A4.A9.2E4.2E6.2A$22.E.A3.E.
A$23.A.A3.A.E$24.A5.2E5$4.G7.G9.2I.I2.2I4.I.A$2.A2G5.A2G9.I.2I2.I2.I
2.2I.A$.A3.2G2.A3.2A15.2I5.I$2.A2.G4.3A2.A21.2I$3.A.A2.A.A3.2A$4.A3.
2A12.2I4.2I5.I$22.I.A3.I.A4.2IA$24.I5.A7.A$24.2I4.A.I2.2IA$31.2I2.I!
(Top left: neither edges nor heads; top right: heads but not edges; bottom left: edges but not heads; bottom right: handles)
Hook: A handle with the closed cell S3n.
Tail: A handle with the closed cell S3r.

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x = 57, y = 11, rule = LifeSuper
2C3.2C5.2C12.E5.E6.E7.2G5.2G$C.A2.C.A4.C2.2C9.2EA3.2EA4.2EA5.G6.G$2.A
4.A5.2A.C12.A5.A6.A6.G6.A$2.2A3.A.C18.2A4.A.A2.2EA6.2G2.5A$8.2C25.A3.
E12.A$54.G$12.2C12.E2.E23.2G$2C.C2.C.A3.C2.A10.4E3.2E.2E$C.2C2.2C.A3.
2A.A17.E.E$9.A6.A9.4E2.A.A.A.A$9.2A5.2A8.E2.E2.2A3.2A!
(Left: hooks; middle: tails; right: neither)

P.S. I am REALLY angry because the forum deleted my previous post because it timed out and forced me to login again for NO REASON :angry::angry::angry: :x :x :evil: :evil:

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