Reflector (cellular automaton)

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Oscillators of varying periods that double as glider reflectors highlighted in pink. Click to view animation. Color coded racetrack large channel.gif
Oscillators of varying periods that double as glider reflectors highlighted in pink. Click to view animation.

In cellular automata such as Conway's Game of Life, a reflector is a pattern that can interact with a spaceship to change its direction of motion, without damage to the reflector pattern. In Life, many oscillators can reflect the glider; there also exist stable reflectors composed of still life patterns that, when they interact with a glider, reflect the glider and return to their stable state.

Contents

Types

As well as whether a reflector is a still life or an oscillator, a reflector might be characterised by the angle between the input and output spaceships (for example a 180° reflector would flip a spaceship). For most [a] spaceships, this can only be 0°, 90°, or 180°. Another property is whether the reflector is colour preserving. That is, if it doesn't change the state of a spaceship as it gets reflected. If a reflector isn't colour preserving, it's known as colour changing. [1]

Buckaroo, a 90deg colour preserving reflector Buckaroo.gif
Buckaroo, a 90° colour preserving reflector

Notes

  1. ↑ Orthogonal and diagonal ships

References

  1. ↑ "Reflector". LifeWiki - ConwayLife.com. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  2. ↑ "Buckaroo". LifeWiki - ConwayLife.com. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
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