Fitting things into a 16x16 box

For discussion of specific patterns or specific families of patterns, both newly-discovered and well-known.
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dani
Posts: 1222
Joined: October 27th, 2017, 3:43 pm

Fitting things into a 16x16 box

Post by dani » February 21st, 2022, 7:44 pm

I think this deserves a thread. As you know apgsearch generates random strings of 256 bits, and converts those into 16x16 boxes of cells and evolves them. With this, assuming that the md5(?) hash function apgsearch uses is capable of generating any possible string, we can actually prove that some things would eventually occur in Catagolue given an infinite amount of computing power.

It is often surprising what can be packed down into that small of a "soup", for lack of better words. Here is a 16x16 predecessor of a 2-engine cordership from this post by Macbi:

Code: Select all

x = 16, y = 16, rule = B3/S23
o2bob2o$o3b2ob2o2bob2o$bo2bo4bo3bobo$10b4o$2b2obo3bobobo$o4b4o3bob2o$
4b2o2b3o2bo$b2o2bo2bo6bo$4b2o2b2o3bobo$3o2b2o2b2o4bo$ob2ob2o2b2obo$o2b
obo4b2obo$3ob2ob2o4b3o$o2bob2o2bo3bobo$3o4bo3b2ob2o$b2obo2b4obo2bo!
For some the current "crown jewel" of soup searching is the Gosper Glider gun. But, it's hard to provide an explicit 16x16 predecessor for it, because it is over twice as long.

However, in certain phases, the central engine is only 15 cells wide, with some additional area knocked off using predecessors. I think by packing either some gliders or travelling methuselahs, they could shoot down the beehives and make blocks in the right places. Unfortunately I have yet to get very far with this concept. Here's just a basic proof of concept which gets it down to 25 cells wide with extraneous gliders, but the blocks form in the wrong place:

Code: Select all

x = 25, y = 14, rule = B3/S23
22bobo$23b2o$23bo$o$obo$2o16bo$16bobo$7bo7bobo$6b2o6bo2bo$5b2o4b2o2bob
o$4b3o4b2o3bobo$5b2o4b2o5bo$6b2o$7bo!
Here's a partially formed 14x10 QBS predecessor, to show what I meant:

Code: Select all

x = 14, y = 10, rule = B3/S23
2b3o$2bo9bo$2bo8bo$3bo7b3o4$2o$obo9b2o$b2o10bo!
Using the faraway glider here is not ideal because it takes up the top left corner which will probably interfere with making the second queen bee.

I will post more progress at a later time if I can figure out ways to delay the engine long enough to get some more conveniently placed objects there.

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