First, an example. Recall from an initial generation with a single live cell the N = 3, S = 2 rule produces the pattern
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This rule produces the pattern, easy to guess
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So the rule here should produce two lines, one going right, one going left, right? That is the most frequent quess. Is it correct? Think a moment, then look at the answer. | ![]() |
A few more examples illustrate the richness of the behavior of one-dimensional binary N = 3 CA.
Changing the rules obviously can have a large influence on the pattern that evolved. For some automata there is another type of sensitivity: changing the initial conditions can have a large effect.
Not surprisingly, two-dimensional CA also exhibit a rich variety of patterns. We cannot easily view the spacetime patterns of these. Rather, we present pictures of a single generation.
The best-known of all CA is John Conway's game of life.
With the remarkable range of behavior demonstrated by CA, a natural question is can the behaviors be classified? If so, are there calculations to predict the behavior?
Continue to 4. D. Genetic Algorithms and Artificial Evolution
Return to 4. B. Cellular Automata Basics
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