The pi calculator is a device constructed by Adam P. Goucher in February 2010, which calculates the decimal digits of pi (the transcendental number, not the Life pattern!) 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 pi 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.
Notes
- ↑ Accessible in Golly via Help › Online Archives › Very Large Patterns › Pi calculator.
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