Challenge thread

[LumpsOfMuck]

If anyone has any questions they would like some help solving or would like to start a competition amoung fellow automatoners, please feel free to post them here.
Please forgive me if a similar thread has been created.

[LumpsOfMuck]

My current challenges.
I challenge you to:

find a continuous unidimensional line of cells that yields infinite growth. 55,000 "GOL"d

find the smallest continuous unidimensional line of cells that exhibits infinite growth. reward: 110,000 "GOL"d

find a continuous unidimensional line of cells that exhibits quadratic growth 500,000 "GOL"d

find the smallest continuous unidimensional line of cells which exhibits quadratic growth. 1,000,000 "GOL"d

find a seven cell predecessor for the switch engine, (this one may be impossible because I know people have done exhaustive computer searches on patterns of seven cells or fewer, but just in case they missed one...) 25,000 "GOL"d

construct a conduit-ship, (a spaceship with a rigid exterior that acts like a conduit to mobile inner patterns) 250,000 "GOL"d

find a polyomino which creates a switch engine, no matter how transient 5,000 "GOL"d

find a polyomino of 100 cells or less that yields infinite growth 100,000 "GOL"d

find a polyomino of 200 cells or less exhibits quadratic growth 2,500,000 "GOL"d

These challenges were brought to you by "The Infinite Glider Hotel". The infinite glider hotel is THE place to stay because there's always room, even if there isn't. Just be prepared to lose a few pounds walking to your room. So come on down to the infinite glider hotel and leave the rest to us. People with "GOL"d will get a 10% discount on prices.

The "GOL"d won in challenges may be used to buy stuff at the nearest "EATER"y or to buy better puns for me to use.

I edited the reward values after concerns about them were brought up.

[137ben]

find the smallest continuous unidimensional line of cells that exhibits infinite growth. reward: 1,000 "GOL"d

Do you mean it has to be a straight line of all 1s? If not, then

x = 39, y = 1, rule = B3/S23
8ob5o3b3o6b7ob5o!

find a seven cell predecessor for the switch engine, (this one may be impossible because I know people have done exhaustive computer searches on patterns of seven cells or fewer, but just in case they missed one...) 2,400 "GOL"d

No pattern with fewer than 10 cells can exhibit infinite growth. This has been proven already, sorry.

find a polyomino which creates a switch engine 1,000 "GOL"d

find a polyomino that yields infinite growth 5,000 "GOL"d

Wha? The easier one (any infinite growth) gives a greater reward?

I'm going to an EATERy and getting two loaves and some honey straight from the beehive...

[LumpsOfMuck]

find the smallest continuous unidimensional line of cells that exhibits infinite growth. reward: 1,000 "GOL"d

Do you mean it has to be a straight line of all 1s? If not, then

x = 39, y = 1, rule = B3/S23
8ob5o3b3o6b7ob5o!

find a seven cell predecessor for the switch engine, (this one may be impossible because I know people have done exhaustive computer searches on patterns of seven cells or fewer, but just in case they missed one...) 2,400 "GOL"d

No pattern with fewer than 10 cells can exhibit infinite growth. This has been proven already, sorry.

find a polyomino which creates a switch engine 1,000 "GOL"d

find a polyomino that yields infinite growth 5,000 "GOL"d

Wha? The easier one (any infinite growth) gives a greater reward?

I'm going to an EATERy and getting two loaves and some honey straight from the beehive...

1st response: I meant a line of cells with no breaks, although thanks for taking an interest regardless.
2nd response: I know that about infinite growth, however... a seven cell switch engine predecessor plus a bre-block is still ten cells so that may be possible still.
3rd the switch engine one it worth less because it doesn't have to be a stablized switch engine, just A switch engine
Good choice of foods BTW

[137ben]

2nd response: I know that about infinite growth, however... a seven cell switch engine predecessor plus a bre-block is still ten cells so that may be possible still.

No it wouldn't, because then you could simply remove the pre-block and have a 7-cell pattern with infinite growth.

[Wojowu]

Continuous unidimensional pattern is a polyomino, so why finding 1 cell thick such pattern is worth less than any other polyomino? Furthermore, smallest 1 cell thick pattern known (with breaks) consists of 12599 living cells, and its length is over one million! Continuous pattern with this property will have (I think) at least 1 billion cells! It is really big number! Largest pattern I know has 3 million cells and is here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=316 Knows someone very very big pattern with at least 10 million cells? (I don't mean some trivial examples, like very long line of cells)

[LumpsOfMuck]

Continuous unidimensional pattern is a polyomino, so why finding 1 cell thick such pattern is worth less than any other polyomino? Furthermore, smallest 1 cell thick pattern known (with breaks) consists of 12599 living cells, and its length is over one million! Continuous pattern with this property will have (I think) at least 1 billion cells! It is really big number! Largest pattern I know has 3 million cells and is here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=316 Knows someone very very big pattern with at least 10 million cells? (I don't mean some trivial examples, like very long line of cells)

I fixed the rewards to be more sensible

[LumpsOfMuck]

2nd response: I know that about infinite growth, however... a seven cell switch engine predecessor plus a bre-block is still ten cells so that may be possible still.

No it wouldn't, because then you could simply remove the pre-block and have a 7-cell pattern with infinite growth.

Actually not true. If you have a seven cell switch engine predecessor and a pre-block and take the pre-block away, there's nothing to stablize the switch engine and it will, inevitably, kill itsself

[Wojowu]

Code: Select all

x = 6, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
4o$bobo$3b3o!

find a polyomino which creates a switch engine, no matter how transient 5,000 "GOL"d

Creates switch engine and some debris on generation 48. Is that qualifying to reward? Debris interact with engine, and I'm not sure what you mean by "no matter how transient"

[LumpsOfMuck]

Code: Select all

x = 6, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
4o$bobo$3b3o!

find a polyomino which creates a switch engine, no matter how transient 5,000 "GOL"d

Creates switch engine and some debris on generation 48. Is that qualifying to reward? Debris interact with engine, and I'm not sure what you mean by "no matter how transient"

Yes, that does qualify. COngrats. On another note, what I meant by no matter how transient, is that it doesn't matter how long the switch engine lasts, as long as it shows up in the first place.

[137ben]

Actually not true. If you have a seven cell switch engine predecessor and a pre-block and take the pre-block away, there's nothing to stablize the switch engine and it will, inevitably, kill itsself

Ah, then, we are using different definitions, as I only consider a switch engine one of the two most common puffers.
(i.e. only what you are calling a stabilized switch engine).

[LumpsOfMuck]

Actually not true. If you have a seven cell switch engine predecessor and a pre-block and take the pre-block away, there's nothing to stablize the switch engine and it will, inevitably, kill itsself

Ah, then, we are using different definitions, as I only consider a switch engine one of the two most common puffers.
(i.e. only what you are calling a stabilized switch engine).

That would explain it. To me, the two puffers are te block laying switch engine and the glider producing switch engine. If it's not stable, I just call it a switch engine