Thread for basic questions

[ColorfulGabrielsp138]

Is this a stamp collection? Did it list all possible 10-bit quasi still lifes?

Yes. At least, the table that you linked to says there are the same number of 10-bit quasi still lifes as Heinz ketchup varieties, and that's exactly how many quasi still lifes are in that stamp-collection pattern.

What's "Heins ketchup varieties"?

[bubblegum]

What's "Heins ketchup varieties"?

The number of varieties of Heinz ketchup. If you look at a bottle of Heinz ketchup, it says "57 Heinz varieties".

[Citation needed]

What is the apgcode of the U-turner methuselah?
Shouldn't it be xp0_35ee?
Why did they say "xp0_211u" on LifeWiki, which refers to a completely different pattern?

The 10-cell form was chosen partly because that's what C28 asked about and partly because most U-turners go through that phase (or that phase plus a dying banana spark). xp0_211u is a 1-tick predecessor. I don't have that strong of an opinion of which form should be the canonical form; the R-pentomino and pi-heptomino are both in forms that don't always occur in the evolutionary sequence.

The article User:ColorfulGalaxy/List_of_Patterns_by_apgcode#2 says "xp0_211u".

Now, let me tell you something more. The MWSS spark page now has links from three pages from ColorfulGalaxy. The "List of Patterns by apgcode" page says it's "xp0_14". This page says "xp0_11f2" is a predecessor of the MWSS spark.
What exactly is a MWSS spark?

[mniemiec]

What exactly is a MWSS spark?

It is the "belly spark" produced by a MWSS - i.e. one protruding live cell, typically flanked on both sides by another single cell on either side two cells to the side and one down. It is also produced by oscillators like the middleweight emulator, and others. In contrast with a HWSS spark that has a domino, usually flanked by two cells on the side, or the corresponding LWSS spark that only has the two side bits 3 spaces apart with nothing in between.

[ColorfulGabrielsp138]

What exactly is a MWSS spark?

It is the "belly spark" produced by a MWSS - i.e. one protruding live cell, typically flanked on both sides by another single cell on either side two cells to the side and one down. It is also produced by oscillators like the middleweight emulator, and others. In contrast with a HWSS spark that has a domino, usually flanked by two cells on the side, or the corresponding LWSS spark that only has the two side bits 3 spaces apart with nothing in between.

He might continue to ask why "xp0_11f2" is a predecessor of the MWSS spark.
Maybe you could reply in the Sandbox.

[hotdogPi]

It's already well established that you two are the same person. Why are you asking what a MWSS spark is if you added it to the wiki userpage yourself?

[GUYTU6J]

In the following typical eater catalysis, the "block surface" reappears after T=3 ticks.

Code: Select all

x = 20, y = 20, rule = B38/S23History
2A8.2A$.A9.A$.A9.A$A2.2A5.A2.CA$3.2A8.C.A$15.A$15.2A4$10.2A$11.A$11.A
$10.A2.CA.A$13.CA.3A$19.A$13.2A.3A$14.A.A$14.A.A$15.A!
#C [[ STOP 3 ]]

Do we have a list of replacement catalysts sorted by the ticks T after which the block surface recovers? Of them, how many have the property that the critical domino never appears when recovering? (For instance, regarding this property the eater2 will have a T of 3, not the usual "full" recovery time 6.)
This consideration may sometimes be useful, like in the partial Lx104 a replacement catalyst with T≥9 is required.

[muzik]

Following the recent discovery: Are there any known true t-nose reactions for p8 and above, even if they haven't yet been stabilised into an oscillator?

[wwei47]

How do I make this conversion?

Code: Select all

x = 48, y = 19, rule = B3/S23
45b2o$44bo2bo$43bob2o$12b2o29bobo$12bobo27b2obo$5bo3bo4bo20bo3bo4bo$4b
obo2b5o20bobo2b5o$4bobo15bo11bobo$b2obobobob2o19b2obobobob2o$o2b2obob
2o2bo11bo5bo2b2obob2o2bo$2o4bo4b2o17b2o4bo4b2o$2b4ob4o7bobobobobo5b4ob
4o$2o4bo4b2o17b2o4bo4b2o$o2b2obob2o2bo11bo5bo2b2obob2o2bo$b2obobobob2o
19b2obobobob2o$4bobobo13bo11bobobo$4bobobo25bobobo$5bobo27bobo$6bo29bo
!

[muzik]

Are there any known sparklers that produce the highly pi-like "table" or "worker bee" spark?

Code: Select all

x = 4, y = 2, rule = B3/S23
o2bo$4o!

[hotdogPi]

Are there any known sparklers that produce the highly pi-like "table" or "worker bee" spark?

Code: Select all

x = 4, y = 2, rule = B3/S23
o2bo$4o!

66P13

Code: Select all

x = 20, y = 17, rule = B3/S23
5bo$3b5o$2bo5bo$2bo2b3o10b2o$b2obo13bo$o3b2o10bobo$bobo2b2o8b2o$2ob5o$
8bo3b3o$2ob5o$bobo2b2o$o3b2o$b2obo$2bo2b3o$2bo5bo$3b5o$5bo!

[muzik]

Are there any known sparklers that produce the highly pi-like "table" or "worker bee" spark?

Code: Select all

x = 4, y = 2, rule = B3/S23
o2bo$4o!

66P13

Code: Select all

x = 20, y = 17, rule = B3/S23
5bo$3b5o$2bo5bo$2bo2b3o10b2o$b2obo13bo$o3b2o10bobo$bobo2b2o8b2o$2ob5o$
8bo3b3o$2ob5o$bobo2b2o$o3b2o$b2obo$2bo2b3o$2bo5bo$3b5o$5bo!

...but that doesn't produce it as a spark?

[muzik]

Can a T-nosed p3 be disproved?

Code: Select all

x = 7, y = 5, rule = B3/S23
3bo$3bo$ob3obo$o5bo$3bo!

[creeperman7002]

Apart from the block, does there exist any still-life where adding any cells to it never yields another still-life?

[vivi]

Apart from the block, does there exist any still-life where adding any cells to it never yields another still-life?

what do you mean by "yield"? adding a cell to the corner of a block yields a boat after one tick; but if you mean on the same gen, off the top of my head you can't add a cell to a ship and still have it be a still life.

[mniemiec]

Apart from the block, does there exist any still-life where adding any cells to it never yields another still-life?

If you mean "add cells that touch", there are many such still-lifes; e.g. there are many still-lifes that contain blocks (e.g. block on table). It's possible to add multiple additional cells to a ship (e.g. ship-tie). If unstable inductors are allowed (e.g. adding a table to a block), it's usually possible to do this to any still-life. In fact, I don't believe it is possible to construct a still-life where this is impossible (although I don't have a rigorous proof for this).

E.g. Pick any still-life. Arrange it in some orientation so that any arbitrary side is on top. Now consider the cells in the top edge of the convex hull, starting with the leftmost ON cell. Create a binary number out of the living cells, starting with the leftmost living cell = 1, and subsequent cells being worth double that, etc. E.g. 1=tub, 3=block, 5=bottom of hook w/tail, 7=bun (unstable), 9=table legs, 11,13=block on top of eater, 15=table top (unstable), etc. It is sufficient to prove that a stable inductor can be constructed for every possible odd number.

Here are hand-crafted inductors above still-lifes whose top edge configurations have all 64 odd numbers from 1-127; unstable edges are omitted:

Code: Select all

x = 103, y = 101, rule = B3/S23
boo61boo$bbo61boo12boo14boo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo26bo6bo8bobbo12bobbo$b
5o10b4o11b4o26b8o9b3o13b3o$$3bo14boo13bobo27bobbo11boobo11boboo$bbobo
13boo13boobo26b4o12bob3o7b3obo$3bo32bo42bo4bo5bo4bo$36boo25boo13boo3b
oo5boo3boo$63boo6$boo61bo13boo$bbo59b3o14bo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo26bo5bo
10bo3bo$b5o10b4o11b4o26b7o10b5o$$3bo3bo10boobbo10bobobo25bobboo10boob
oo$bbobobobo8bob4o9bob3obo24b4obo10bobo$3bo3bo9bo14bo5bo29bo10bobo$4b
3o9boo3boo10b5o25boo3boo10bo$21boo40boo$3boboo28bo$3boobo27bobo$35bo3$
boo61bo$bbo59b3o13boo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo26bo5bo9bobbo13bobbo$b5o10b4o
11b4o26b7o10b3o13b4o$$3bo4bo9boo3bo9bobobbo24bobbobo9boobobo9boboobo$
bbobobbobo9bobbobo6b3ob4o24b4ob3o7bob3obo6b3oboboo$3bo4bo10bobobbo5bo
40bo12bo5bo$4b4o12bo3boo5b3oboo28boob3o11boo7b8o$33boobo28boboo13bo10b
o4bo$4boo77bo11bo$4boo76boo10boo4$boo$bbo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo$b5o10b4o
11b4o$$3bo3boo9boobboo9boboboo$bbobobbo10bo3bo9bob3obo$bbobbobo11bo3bo
8bo$boo3bo11boobboo9boo$19bobo12bo$19bobo11bo$20bo12boo$$64boo$65bo$b
oo61bo3bo$bbo61b5o9boo14boo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo26bo9bo5bobbo12bobbo$b
5o10b4o11b4o26b11o6b3o13b3o$$3bo5bo8boo4bo8bobo3bo23bobbobbo8boobobbo
8boboobbo$bbobo3bobo8bobb3o7boboo3b3o21b4obb3o7bob4o6b3obo3b3o$3bobobo
bo9bobo10bo9bo29bo6bo10bo4bo6bo$4bo3bo9booboo10b3o5bo21boob6o6boo3boo
6b4o6bo$5b3o27bo4bo22boobobbo13boo13bobo$35bobobo53boo3boo$4boboo26boo
boo54bobboo$4boobo86boobo3$boo76boo$bbo63boo12bo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo
30bobbo9bo4bo$b5o10b4o11b4o31b3o9b6o$$3bo3bobo8boobbobo8bobobobo23bobb
oobo8booboobo$b3o3boobo6bobobboobo6bobooboobo20b3o3bob3o7boboboo$o9bo
6bobboo3bo6bo7bo19bo6bo4bo6bobo$bo5b3o6boo3bo3boo6b3ob3o21bo6b4o8boo$
bbo4bo10b3o14bobo24bobo$3bobobo10bo17bo26boo3boo$4booboo56boobbo$65bob
oo3$boo92boo$bbo64boo10boo15bo$bo3bo10bobbo11bobbo31bobbo8bobbo12bo4bo
$b5o10b4o11b4o32b3o8b3o13b6o$$3bo4boo8boo3boo8bobobboo23bobboboo8boobo
boo8bobooboo$3b3obbo10bobbobo7boboobbobo22b4obo9bob3obo8boobobo$6bobo
10bobo10bo3boobbo27bo27bobo$5booboo10bo10boo3bo3boo21boo3boo9boo15boo$
37b3o23boo14boo$39bo!

[calcyman]

Apart from the block, does there exist any still-life where adding any cells to it never yields another still-life?

If you mean "add cells that touch", there are many such still-lifes; e.g. there are many still-lifes that contain blocks (e.g. block on table). It's possible to add multiple additional cells to a ship (e.g. ship-tie). If unstable inductors are allowed (e.g. adding a table to a block), it's usually possible to do this to any still-life. In fact, I don't believe it is possible to construct a still-life where this is impossible (although I don't have a rigorous proof for this).

If you have a binary string on the top of the still-life of the form:

0001(.*)1000

and it's minimal (i.e. doesn't contain 000 as an internal substring) then you can add a solid line inductor:

0111(1*)1110

Now, that doesn't yield a still-life by itself, because there will be births above the line and deaths on the ends of the line, but you can complete it into an 'elongated beehive' by adding an extra line above it (with a blank line in between) and capping the ends with cells. Then you just need to prevent the births on the top of this elongated beehive, but that's easy with a row of blocks.

For example, if you take this still-life:

Code: Select all

x = 13, y = 5, rule = B3/S23
o2b2o3bo$4obobobob2o$5bobobobo$2o3bobobobo$2o4bo3bo!

then the top row is:

...000100110001000...

and the minimal segment matching this pattern is:

00010011000

and we can complete it with an elongated beehive:

Code: Select all

x = 16, y = 12, rule = B3/S23
3b2ob2o$3b2ob2o2$b9o$o9bo$b9o2$3bo2b2o3bo$3b4obobobob2o$8bobobobo$3b2o
3bobobobo$3b2o4bo3bo!

[mniemiec]

If you have a binary string on the top of the still-life of the form: ...

This can be optimized in two ways:
1) If one or both ends of the pattern are 00101(.*)... you can shorten them by 3 cells, and replace 11111(1*)... by 00011(1*)...
2) Instead of using a long beehive, you can use one of the following, all of which have height 2-3 rows:
a) If the inductor is of length 3n, use a bookend siamese (n-1) tables (population 4n+3).
b) If the inductor is of length 3n+1, use n siamese tables (n>0; population 4n+2).
c) If the inductor is of length 3n+2, use a carrier siamese n tables (population 4n+4).
This is always cheaper and smaller than the long beehive solution, which for length 3n+k has a population of 6n+2k+2 + whatever it takes to stabilize the top of the beehive, and will occupy 6-7 rows.

Code: Select all

x = 130, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
bboo41boo18boo41boo18boo$obbo16bobbo16bobbobbo13bobbobbo13bobbobbo13bo
bbobbobbo10bobbobbobbo$3o17b4o16b5o15b6o14b7o13b8o12b9o!

[hotdogPi]

I know I've seen it once manually (but I think in a symmetrical pattern), and https://catagolue.hatsya.com/census/b3s23/Pseudo_C1/xp2 seems to indicate it occurs way more often than by chance, but I don't know what pattern creates this. Does anyone know?

Code: Select all

x = 9, y = 9, rule = B3/S23
2b2ob2o$3bobo$o7bo$2o5b2o2$2o$o$3bo$2b2o!

[GUYTU6J]

I know I've seen it once manually (but I think in a symmetrical pattern), and https://catagolue.hatsya.com/census/b3s23/Pseudo_C1/xp2 seems to indicate it occurs way more often than by chance, but I don't know what pattern creates this. Does anyone know?

Code: Select all

x = 9, y = 9, rule = B3/S23
2b2ob2o$3bobo$o7bo$2o5b2o2$2o$o$3bo$2b2o!

An interrupted traffic light:

Rection produces a pseudo-oscillator made of 3 beacons:

Code: Select all

x = 11, y = 14, rule = 23/3
8bo$7b3o$6b2ob2o$7b3o$8bo2$b2o$o2bo$b2obo4$bo$2o!

[mniemiec]

I know I've seen it once manually (but I think in a symmetrical pattern), and https://catagolue.hatsya.com/census/b3s23/Pseudo_C1/xp2 seems to indicate it occurs way more often than by chance, but I don't know what pattern creates this. Does anyone know? ...

There is one collision of a traffic light and a honeyfarm that makes it plus some junk that kills it. If the junk is tamed, the three beacons can survive:

Code: Select all

x = 54, y = 26, rule = B3/S23
30bo$28bobo$29boo4$45bo$11bo33bobo$12bo32boobboo$10b3o3boo31bobo$15boo
17bobo12bo$17bo17boo$35bo$$7bobo$8boo$8bo$10boo$oo8bobo23boo$boo7bo26b
oo$o35bo3$51b3o$51bo$52bo!

[wwei47]

Is there a reason why the boat with tail seems to be such a versatile reactant in synthesis components? I've used it three times in three unrelated components already, and it's not exactly the most common object to use as a reactant.

Code: Select all

x = 32, y = 40, rule = B3/S23
31bo$29b2o$30b2o$obo$b2o$bo8bo$11b2o$10b2o8$22b2ob2o2b2o$8b3o12bobo3b
2o$10bo10bobobo$9bo11b2o2bob4o$25bobo2bo$26bo$20b2o$19bobo$18bobo$5b2o
11bo$6b2o9b2o$5bo3$17b2o$17b2o$7b2o$6bobo$8bo$27b3o$27bo$28bo$2b2o$bob
o$3bo!

Code: Select all

x = 47, y = 49, rule = B3/S23
2bo$obo$b2o6$24bo5b2o$23bobo3bobo10bo$23bobo2bo13bobo$20b2obobobob2o11b
2o$13b2o4bo2b2obob2o2bo$13b2o4b2o4bo4b2o$21b4ob4o$13b2o4b2o4bo4b2o$13b
2o4bo2b2obob2o2bo$20b2obobobob2o$22bo2bobo$12b2o2b2obobo3bobo$12b2o2b
2ob2o5bo2$26bo$22b2o2b3o$22bo6bo$17bob2obo5bobo$17b2ob2o7b2o2$32bo$30b
3o$29bo$29b2o3$3bo$3b2o$2bobo2$26bo$25b2o$25bobo16b2o$44bobo$44bo$7b3o
$9bo$8bo$26b3o$26bo$27bo!

Code: Select all

x = 41, y = 32, rule = B3/S23
3bo$4bo$2b3o8bo$14b2o$13b2o2$7bo23bo$8b2o20bo$7b2o21b3o$36bo$35bo$35b
3o8$6bo19b2o10b2o$6bo19b2o10bobo$4b2ob2o29bo$19b2o5b2o$2bobo3bobo7bo2b
o3bobo$2bo7bo4b2o2bobo2bobo$2o9b2obo2b2obo3bo$2bo7bo4b2o2bo3b2o$2bobo
3bobo7bo$19b3o$4b2ob2o12bo$6bo$6bo!

[MathAndCode]

Is there a reason why the boat with tail seems to be such a versatile reactant in synthesis components? I've used it three times in three unrelated components already, and it's not exactly the most common object to use as a reactant.

There is a cheaper-looking alternative for the third example.

Code: Select all

x = 39, y = 40, rule = B3/S23
3bo$4bo$2b3o8bo$14b2o$13b2o2$7bo23bo$8b2o20bo$7b2o21b3o2$35bo$34bo$34b
3o7$6bo$6bo$4b2ob2o$19b2o$2bobo3bobo7bo2bo$2bo7bo4b2o2bobo$2o9b2obo2b
2obo3b2o$2bo7bo4b2o2bo4bo$2bobo3bobo7bo8bo$19b3o4b2o$4b2ob2o12bo$6bo$
6bo6$37bo$36b2o$36bobo!

[bibunsekibun]

Where can I get the old Golly version?

[Citation needed]

Why is "xp0_3v" called "(Alien RRO)"?
I've already read the LifeWiki article on Alien and RRO but I still can't associate these two words with "xp0_3v".

Also, what is an "(Angel / Alien 7P4H1V1 Predecessor)"? The name suggests that it is a spaceship, but "xp0_7t" doesn't seem like a spaceship.