One-Dimensional Cellular Automatons

[Turtle]

Well, it is work that I did on my own without referencing other sources. However, that is not to say that some other bloke didn't do it first and better! :D

 

Very few 1D cellular automatons generate "Actors" that either sit still and oscillate, or move one way or the other and maintain their form. Most rule sets either die out in a few generations, or fill the screen with vaguely repeating fractal-like patterns (or with noise). It is the ones that generate something "organic" that I find 'interesting'.

 

Tell me about it! :) Not only did I never find an actor inspite of looking assiduously, I couldn't find an understudy. :hyper: Besides changing the rule sets, I think the increase in the size of the group (the '9' in 1X9; I don't know the official term) is a determining factor if one wants actors.

 

I went back this morning to have a look at my 1x5 (in basic) and saw one technique I used to increase the organic factor. What I did was assign different colors to specific rules. I'm not sure how this would work with the way you determine your V, but it was quite simple using my verbose listing of possible states. :)

[LaurieAG]

I have so many different Excel apps.

 

You could always use an Object Oriented Programming (OOP) type language that allows you to create a base CA object with all of the rules built in. The rules can be whatever you like, 2D, 3D etc and any new object (say the original CA at a future time) only has to apply the external variables according to the internal object rules, within the event loop.

 

Of course you have to collect and display your data separately.

[Turtle]

Actually, I don't use the M in any of my calculations. I use it in my *explanation* to show that rule sets are always odd numbers. You got yer 1x3, 1x5, 1x7, 1x9, 1x11 and so on. I only used M to *classify* the rule set size.

 

Uhmmm...I think I missed this earlier. Why are rule sets always odd? Are you saying you can't have a 1X4 CA?

Also, I wanted to ask again if you can have multiple colors using your scheme?

That's all I got Winston. :eek: :eek:

[Pyrotex]

Uhmmm...I think I missed this earlier. Why are rule sets always odd? Are you saying you can't have a 1X4 CA?

Also, I wanted to ask again if you can have multiple colors using your scheme?

That's all I got Winston. :eek: :eek:

Ummmm... well no and yes.

Technically, all my rule sets are odd. BUT!!!! If you set either rule on the extreme left or right equal to zero, then VOILA!!, you have an even rule set.

 

I use just one color, red, on a white background. In the body of the spreadsheet, all the values are set to either 1 or 0, so that limits me to 2 colors. I make the cells as square as I can, then shrink the spreadsheet so the cells are tiny, maybe 4 or 5 pixels each. This gives room for a CA "universe" several hundred columns wide and several hundred rows deep.

 

You just gotta find a friend or co-worker or neighbor who has at least a 2000 A.D. version of Excel or better and take a freakin' LOOK at these CA's.

:doh::D:D:D:D:D:D

[Turtle]

Ummmm... well no and yes.

Technically, all my rule sets are odd. BUT!!!! If you set either rule on the extreme left or right equal to zero, then VOILA!!, you have an even rule set.

As I hoped you would say, but more eloquently expressed. Might we further say any offset that the 'throw' allows? That is in a 1X6 (where 6 is the 'throw'), might we set the rule second from right/left, or third?

 

I use just one color, red, on a white background. In the body of the spreadsheet, all the values are set to either 1 or 0, so that limits me to 2 colors.

I am intrigued by our different approaches to programming one dimensional CA's, particularly as it seems your method does not allow multi-colors as I suggested. On the other hand, generating the exhaustive list for inclusion in the program by my method allowing colors is...well...exhausting. :hyper:

I originally adopted the technique in an effort to track the effect(s) of changing a single rule for a single possible state. Well, I do ramble on.

 

 

You just gotta find a friend or co-worker or neighbor who has at least a 2000 A.D. version of Excel or better and take a freakin' LOOK at these CA's.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I'm workin' on that friend thing...I'll get back to ya on it. Did you look at my CA? Want a 1x5 with colors? Standing by on the one-dimensional dimension. :cup:

[Leo]

Hello. Just to say you might find Mirek Wojtowicz's free software "Cellebration" useful for your 1D CA experiments. I can't post internet links because I'm still a newbie here with less than ten posts, but you can find it easily by search engines. Have a look at the galleries of 1D automata on the web site.

[Pyrotex]

Hello. Just to say you might find Mirek Wojtowicz's free software "Cellebration" useful for your 1D CA experiments. I can't post internet links because I'm still a newbie here with less than ten posts, but you can find it easily by search engines. Have a look at the galleries of 1D automata on the web site.

Thanks!

 

I transmogrify into Internet-Man, and disappear down the T10 cable...

[Leo]

You're welcome, Pyrotex. I mentioned this software because not all applications can run your script - OpenOffice (with macros enabled) detects an error on pressing the Run button -while Mirek's Cellebration, once installed, allows to exchange tiny rule and pattern files easier to share around. Other programs might better fit your needs, there's a list of them in the wikipedia entry for cellular automata.

[Turtle]

Find attached my 1X5 cellular automaton I mentioned using more than one color. The compressed folder has the Basic code, as well as a compiled executable version. When running the .exe file fiveflot.exe, hitting F9 pauses the program, and F10 exits. :friday: :hihi:

[TheFaithfulStone]

Wow, Pyro, your excel sheet managed to bring the program to it's knees on my workstation. (I have four GIGS of ram and it ran out!)

 

I've never messed around much with 1D-CA, but I wrote a C++ implementation of Conway where you could tweak the rules a long time ago. It's a lot easier to make crazy things in 2D systems. I did this for a high school science fair project, so I'm a little rusty.

 

Oh yeah:

 

Very few 1D cellular automatons generate "Actors" that either sit still and oscillate, or move one way or the other and maintain their form. Most rule sets either die out in a few generations, or fill the screen with vaguely repeating fractal-like patterns (or with noise). It is the ones that generate something "organic" that I find 'interesting'.

 

I think this is a universal truth of all Cellular Automata. (on a finite grid anyway) I have never encountered one that didn't end in an maximal or minimal entropy state in a finite number of calculations.

 

Either you get total noise, where there are no discernible structures, or you get total stagnation, where there is no discernible changes. Either way, pretty useless.

 

I'm kinda outta my depth here, but I think this has to do with the fact that all CA are Turing Machines, and that all Turing Machines have a halting state.

 

TFS