The simulation has started! Watch as the cells evolve according to the rules of Conway's Game of Life.
The rules are:
- Any live cell with fewer than two live neighbours dies, as if by underpopulation.
- Any live cell with two or three live neighbours lives on to the next generation.
- Any live cell with more than three live neighbours dies, as if by overpopulation.
- Any dead cell with exactly three live neighbours becomes a live cell, as if by reproduction.
These rules, which compare the behavior of the automaton to real life, can be condensed into the following:
- Any live cell with two or three live neighbours survives.
- Any dead cell with three live neighbours becomes a live cell.
- All other live cells die in the next generation. Similarly, all other dead cells stay dead.
Use the controls above to pause the simulation, reset it back to the initial state, or randomize the grid to explore different starting configurations.
Did you know? Conway chose his rules carefully, after considerable experimentation, to meet these criteria:
- There should be no explosive growth.
- There should exist small initial patterns with chaotic, unpredictable outcomes.
- There should be potential for von Neumann universal constructors.
- The rules should be as simple as possible, whilst adhering to the above constraints.
Learn more about Conway's Game of Life on Wikipedia.