Do there exist robust structures in Conway's Game of Life? For instance, has anyone constructed a spaceship with a shield that absorbs all small oscillators and gliders it collides with?
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
5
-
2$\begingroup$ I don't see the connection between the title and the contents of the question. $\endgroup$– Dave ClarkeCommented Dec 7, 2012 at 6:00
-
$\begingroup$ @DaveClarke: IMO: "Do there exist robust structures ..." = "Cell walls ..." $\endgroup$– VorCommented Dec 7, 2012 at 9:14
-
1$\begingroup$ @Vor: Cell walls sound fairly robust. $\endgroup$– Dave ClarkeCommented Dec 7, 2012 at 9:15
-
$\begingroup$ see conwaylife.com/wiki/Eater $\endgroup$– A.SchulzCommented Dec 7, 2012 at 9:25
-
$\begingroup$ There is actually a similar thing, but it would absorbs what ever collides with it and it is automatically tansferred into a new structure. $\endgroup$– abcCommented Oct 24, 2015 at 14:37
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
1
See "eaters" category.
They can absorbe gliders and spaceships, but I'm not an expert and I don't know if there are "walls" capable of absorbing everything. Perhaps it is a nice subject to investigate! (see the references at the bottom of Wikipedia pages for modern approaches using constraint solvers).
From the lexicon:
:eater Any still life that has the ability to interact with certain patterns without suffering any permanent damage. (If it doesn't suffer even temporary damage then it may be referred to as a rock.) The eater1 is a very common eater, and the term "eater" is often used specifically for this object. Other eaters include eater2, eater3, eater4 and even the humble block. (In fact the block was the first known eater, being found capable of eating beehives from a queen bee.) Another useful eater is shown below, feasting on a glider.
-
$\begingroup$ Thanks for your answer. Unfortunately all the eaters I've seen fail completely when met with a glider from a different angle or a spaceship of a different variety from the one for which they were designed. They are also immobile :( $\endgroup$– user4919Commented Dec 7, 2012 at 18:56