OCA:Maze
| Maze | |
| View static image | |
| View animated image | |
| Rulestring | 12345/3 B3/S12345 |
|---|---|
| Rule integer | 31752 |
| Character | Explosive |
| Black/white reversal | B0128/S01234678 |
Maze is a Life-like cellular automaton in which cells survive from one generation to the next if they have at least 1 and at most 5 neighbours. Cells are born if they have exactly 3 neighbours. This resembles Conway's Game of Life in some ways, but it is rather more difficult for cells to die off, and random starting patterns tend to evolve into complex growing maze-like structures with well-defined walls outlining corridors.
Notable patterns
The maze rule is explosive, which means that most randomly-generated starting patterns will explode in all directions. Nonetheless, there are many still lifes and oscillators under this rule. It has no known spaceships.[1]
Still lifes
Below are all still lifes with nine or fewer cells in the maze rule.[2] It is worth noting that, because the only difference between this rule and the standard Conway rule is that cells have more ways of staying alive, every pattern that is a still life in standard Life is also a still life in the maze rule. Similarly, every still life in the maze rule will also be a still life in the Life without death rule.
Other notable still lifes include the infinitely-extensible diagonal line. Also, any diamond in which every other cell is alive (i.e. any barge that is extended in either length and/or width) is a still life.
| Size | Count | Image | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 3 | 1 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 4 | 5 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 5 | 7 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 6 | 18 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 7 | 40 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 8 | 197 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
| 9 | 669 | 
|
Download RLE: click here |
Oscillators
The smallest period 2 oscillator is an on-off that has several different possible stators, some of which are shown below.
| Some period 2 oscillators (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here |
Other patterns
One wickstretcher that commonly appears from random starting configurations is shown below. Its period is 12 and it travels at speed c/3. It can be stabilized on the left edge in many different ways.
| A common wickstretcher (click above to open LifeViewer) RLE: here Plaintext: here |
Similar rules
Mazectric
The most well-known related rule is known as mazectric, which has rulestring 1234/3. That is, it is the same as the maze rule except that cells don't survive if they have 5 neighbours. This results in maze patterns that tend to have longer and straighter corridors.
| Mazectric | |
| View static image | |
| Rulestring | 1234/3 B3/S1234 |
|---|---|
| Rule integer | 15368 |
| Character | Explosive |
| Black/white reversal | B01238/S01234678 |
 Generation 235 of the evolution of a 10×10 square of random cells under the mazectric rule |
Mice
By adding seven to the birth condition, you get "mice" running through the mazes of Maze or Mazectric.
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References
- ↑ Maze (B3/S12345) at David Eppstein's Glider Database
- ↑ Computed using the EnumStillLifes.c script located here.
External links
- Maze at David Eppstein's Glider Database
- Maze at Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue
- MCell built-in Life rules: Maze at Mirek Wójtowicz's Cellebration page
- Mazectric at Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue
- MCell built-in Life rules: Mazectric at Mirek Wójtowicz's Cellebration page
- Maze with Mice at Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue
- Mazectric with Mice at Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue