The π calculator is a device constructed by Adam P. Goucher in February 2010, which calculates the decimal digits of π and displays them in the Life universe as 8×10 dot matrix characters formed by arrangements of blocks along a diagonal stripe at the top. A push reaction moves a ten-block diagonal cursor to the next position as part of the "printing" operation for each new digit.
The actual calculation is done in binary, using a streaming spigot algorithm based on linear fractional transformations. The π calculator is made up of a 188-state computer connected to a printing device via period-8 regulators and a binary-to-decimal conversion mechanism. The complete pattern can be found in Golly's Very Large Patterns online archive,[note 1] along with the very similar 177-state phi calculator which uses a simpler algorithm to calculate and print the Golden Ratio, φ.
Detail of the π calculator after 63,850,210,955,854 generations, having calculated 13 digits of π, viewed at a scale of 26:1.
Notes
- ↑ Accessible in Golly via Help › Online Archives › Very Large Patterns › Pi calculator.
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