16 Patterns - Pattern 5

The Lightweight Spaceship - Complexity in Movement

Pattern 5: The Lightweight Spaceship - Complexity in Movement

Building on our understanding of the Glider, we now turn to a larger and more complex moving pattern: the Lightweight Spaceship (LWSS).

Generation 1:   Generation 2:   Generation 3:   Generation 4:
   #...#         ..#..          ...#.          ....#
   ....#         ...##          ....#          .....#
   #...#         ..##.          ...##          ....##
   .####         .####          .###.          ..##.
                  ..#.

The Lightweight Spaceship, often abbreviated as LWSS, is a pattern that moves horizontally across the grid, completing its cycle every four generations. Like the Glider, it’s classified as a “spaceship,” but it introduces us to new levels of complexity in moving patterns.

Let’s examine the LWSS’s behavior:

  1. The pattern moves two cells horizontally for every four generations.
  2. Unlike the Glider’s diagonal movement, the LWSS travels in a straight line.
  3. The pattern “breathes” as it moves, expanding and contracting slightly.

The LWSS demonstrates several important concepts:

  1. Directional Movement: Unlike the Glider’s diagonal path, the LWSS shows that spaceships can move in cardinal directions (horizontally or vertically).

  2. Speed: The LWSS moves at what’s known as “speed c/2” in the Game of Life, meaning it travels half a cell per generation. This is the fastest speed possible for a spaceship in this universe.

  3. Symmetry and Asymmetry: The LWSS has bilateral symmetry in some generations but not others, showing how symmetry can play a role in pattern behavior.

  4. Edge Behavior: Notice how the leading edge of the LWSS “probes” the space ahead, with cells coming alive and dying in a way that propels the pattern forward.

The LWSS is more than just a larger version of the Glider. Its more complex structure allows it to interact with other patterns in unique ways. In more advanced Game of Life constructions, LWSS are often used as components in larger machines or as a means of transmitting information over longer distances.

The existence of the LWSS hints at even larger and more complex spaceships possible in the Game of Life. Indeed, enthusiasts have discovered spaceships of various sizes and speeds, each with its own unique behavior and uses.

As we delve deeper into the Game of Life, patterns like the LWSS remind us that complexity can arise from our simple rules in surprising and beautiful ways. The LWSS, with its elegant motion and intricate structure, stands as a testament to the rich possibilities hidden within our grid universe.