Mold

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Mold
3b2ob$2bo2bo$o2bobo$4bob$ob2o2b$bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ AUTOSTART ]] #C [[ TRACKLOOP 4 0 0 GPS 2 THUMBSIZE 2 ]]
Pattern type Oscillator
Number of cells 12
Bounding box 6 × 6
Frequency class 24.2
Period 4
Mod 2
Heat 7
Volatility 0.63
Strict volatility 0.53
Discovered by Achim Flammenkamp
Year of discovery 1988

Mold is a period-4 oscillator found by Achim Flammenkamp in 1988,[1] but not widely known until Dean Hickerson rediscovered it (and named it) in August 1989. In terms of its minimum population of 12 cells it ties with mazing as the smallest period-4 oscillator, but in terms of its 6 × 6 bounding box it wins outright. In fact, of all oscillators that fit in a 6 × 7 box it is the only one with period greater than 2.

It emits corner dots, which can support other patterns such as the 45-cell p32 honey farm hassler, four molds hassling eight blocks, traffic circle, "butter",[2] an unnamed p8 oscillator.

Construction

Mold is known to be constructible with 5 gliders.[3] Several known alternate syntheses are available in Mark Niemiec's database.[4]

x = 36, y = 20, rule = B3/S23 20bo$18b2o$2bo16b2o8bo$obo24b2o$b2o20bo4b2o$23bobo$23b2o2$31b2o$30bo2b o$30bobo2bo$31bo$32b2obo$34bo4$27bo$26b2o$26bobo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THEME Book ZOOM 10 AUTOSTART GPS 8 T 0 PAUSE 3 T 20 PAUSE 1 T 36 PAUSE 1 T 49 PAUSE 2 LOOP 50 ]]
A 5G synthesis[4]
(click above to open LifeViewer)
x = 51, y = 24, rule = B3/S23 16b2o28b2o$15bo2bo26bo2bo$15bobo2bo8bo15bobo2bo$16bo3bo9bo6bobo6bo$20b o7b3o6b2o8b2obo$17bo20bo10bo$18b2o15$b2o$obo$2bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ THEME Book ZOOM 10 AUTOSTART GPS 8 T 0 PAUSE 3 T 59 PAUSE 1 T 104 PAUSE 2 LOOP 105 ]]
A three-glider conversion of jam to mold[4]
(click above to open LifeViewer)

Occurrence

Mold is the twelfth most common naturally-occurring oscillator in Achim Flammenkamp's census, being less common than the spark coil but more common than the quadpole tie ship.[5] On Catagolue, it is the most common period 4 oscillator, being more common than mazing.[6]

The first natural mold stator variant, cis-mold on dock, occurred in May 2015.[7]

The octo3obj database contains one collision with a mold in the ash.[8] There are two three-glider collisions in the octo3g database with a mold in the ash; both collisions converge to the same sequence before the mold forms.[9]

See also

References

  1. Dean Hickerson's oscillator stamp collection. Retrieved on March 14, 2020.
  2. Entity Valkyrie (February 26, 2019). Re: Oscillator Discussion Thread (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  3. xp4_37bkic at Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 The 2 twelve-bit period 4 oscillators at Mark D. Niemiec's Life Page (download pattern file: 12/12md.rle)
  5. Achim Flammenkamp (September 7, 2004). "Most seen natural occurring ash objects in Game of Life". Retrieved on January 15, 2009.
  6. Adam P. Goucher. "Census". Catagolue. Retrieved on October 27, 2018.
  7. praosylen (May 7, 2015). Re: Soup search results (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
  8. The headerless RLE of the collision is 8b2o$8b2o3$6bo$3o2bobo$5bobo$6bo2$4b2o$4bobo$4bo!
  9. Headerless RLEs of the collisions are bo$2bo$3o96$133bo$131b2o$132b2o$128bo$129bo$127b3o! and 133bo$131b2o$132b2o$128bo$129bo$127b3o137$3o$2bo$bo!

External links