Glider duplicator
A glider duplicator is any reaction in which one input glider is converted into two output gliders by a set of still lifes, oscillators or spaceships. The most useful glider duplicators are those with low period or stable glider duplicators.
The period-30 glider duplicator below demonstrates a simple glider duplicating mechanism that was found by Dietrich Leithner. The input glider stream comes in from the upper left, and the output glider streams leave at the upper and lower right. The mechanism is made up of two Gosper glider guns, and the rightmost glider gun acts as an inline inverter.
| A period-30 glider duplicator (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here |
Spaceship convoys that can duplicate gliders are very useful since they (along with glider turners) provide a means to clean up many dirty puffers by duplicating and turning output gliders so as to impact into the exhaust to clean it up.
Glider duplicators (and turners) are known for backward gliders using period-2 c/2 spaceships, and for forward gliders using period-3 c/3 spaceships. These are the most general duplicators for these speeds.
Stable duplicators usually[note 1] contain at least one Herschel stage. If the syringe is used, the repeat time is at least 78 ticks (or overclocked to 74 or 75 ticks); if speed tunnel is used, the repeat time is at least 61. The following is a small glider duplicator, producing one 0° degree glider and one 180° glider, with a repeat time of (74, 75, 78+) ticks:
| (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here |
Notes
See also
External links
- Glider duplicator at the Life Lexicon
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