Replicator
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
A replicator is any pattern that produces copies of itself.
Replicators occur naturally in some cellular automata. The best-known example is the replicator in HighLife (B36/S23). In the Replicator rule (B1357/S1357) and Replicator 2 rule (B1357/S02468), every pattern is a replicator. A single alive cell is a replicator in many B1 rules, including Gnarl (B1/S1).
There exists a replicator in any cellular automaton with a universal constructor. Therefore Life, which has a universal constructor, has replicators. No concrete examples are known, however. A similar situation occurs for the rule B36/S235.
External Links
- Replicator at the Life Lexicon