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<title>Golly Help: RuleLoader</title>
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<body bgcolor="#FFFFCE">
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The RuleLoader algorithm allows rules to be specified in external files.
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Given the rule string "Foo", RuleLoader will search for a file called Foo.rule.
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The format of a .rule file is described <a href="../formats.html#rule">here</a>.
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A number of examples can be found in the Rules folder:
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<p><b><a href="rule:B3/S23">B3/S23</a></b> or <b><a href="rule:Life">Life</a></b><br>
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Conway's Life. This is the default rule for the RuleLoader algorithm and is built in
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(there is no corresponding .rule file).
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<p><b><a href="rule:Banks-I">Banks-I</a>,
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<a href="rule:Banks-II">Banks-II</a>,
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<a href="rule:Banks-III">Banks-III</a>,
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<a href="rule:Banks-IV">Banks-IV</a></b><br>
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In 1971, Edwin Roger Banks (a student of Ed Fredkin) made simpler versions of Codd's 1968 CA,
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using only two states in some cases. These four rules are found in his PhD thesis.
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To see the rules in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Banks/Banks-I-demo.rle">Banks-I-demo.rle</a>
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and the other examples in Patterns/Banks/.
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<p><b><a href="rule:BBM-Margolus-emulated">BBM-Margolus-emulated</a></b><br>
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Ed Fredkin's Billiard Ball Model, using the Margolus neighborhood to implement a simple reversible
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physics of bouncing balls.
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In this implementation we are emulating the system using a Moore-neighborhood CA with extra states.
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Open <a href="open:Patterns/Margolus/BBM.rle">BBM.rle</a> to see the rule in action.
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<p><b><a href="rule:BriansBrain">BriansBrain</a></b><br>
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An alternative implementation of the Generations rule /2/3.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Byl-Loop">Byl-Loop</a></b><br>
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A six state 5-neighborhood CA that supports small self-replicating loops.
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To see the rule in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Byl-Loop.rle">Byl-Loop.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Caterpillars">Caterpillars</a></b><br>
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An alternative implementation of the Generations rule 124567/378/4.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Chou-Reggia-1">Chou-Reggia-1</a></b> and
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<b><a href="rule:Chou-Reggia-2">Chou-Reggia-2</a></b><br>
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Two 5-neighborhood CA that supports tiny self-replicating loops.
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To see the rules in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Chou-Reggia-Loop-1.rle">Chou-Reggia-Loop-1.rle</a> and
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Chou-Reggia-Loop-2.rle">Chou-Reggia-Loop-2.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Codd">Codd</a></b><br>
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In 1968, Edgar F. Codd (who would later invent the relational database) made a simpler version
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of von Neumann's 29-state CA, using just 8 states. To see the rule in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Codd/repeater-emitter-demo.rle">repeater-emitter-demo.rle</a>
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and the other examples in Patterns/Codd/.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Codd2">Codd2</a></b><br>
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A very minor extension of Codd's transition table, to allow for some sheathing cases that
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were found with large patterns.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Codd/sheathing-problems.rle">sheathing-problems.rle</a>
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for a demonstration of the problem cases.
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<p><b><a href="rule:CrittersMargolus_emulated">CrittersMargolus_emulated</a></b><br>
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The Critters rule is reversible and has Life-like gliders.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Margolus/CrittersCircle.rle">CrittersCircle.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Devore">Devore</a></b><br>
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In 1973, John Devore altered Codd's transition table to allow for simple diodes and triodes,
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enabling him to make a much smaller replicator than Codd's.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Devore/Devore-rep.rle">Devore-rep.rle</a>
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and the other examples in Patterns/Devore/.
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<p><b><a href="rule:DLA-Margolus-emulated">DLA-Margolus-emulated</a></b><br>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion-limited_aggregation">Diffusion-limited aggregation</a>
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(DLA) is where moving particles can become stuck, forming a distinctive fractal pattern seen in several
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different natural physical systems. See <a href="open:Patterns/Margolus/DLA.rle">DLA.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Ed-rep">Ed-rep</a></b><br>
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A version of Fredkin's parity rule, for 7 states.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Other-Rules/Ed-rep.rle">Ed-rep.rle</a> for an image of Ed Fredkin
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that photocopies itself.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Evoloop">Evoloop</a></b> and
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<b><a href="rule:Evoloop-finite">Evoloop-finite</a></b><br>
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An extension of the SDSR Loop, designed to allow evolution through collisions.
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To see the rule in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Evoloop-finite.rle">Evoloop-finite.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:HPP">HPP</a></b><br>
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The HPP lattice gas. A simple model of gas particles moving at right angles at a fixed speed turns out to give an
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accurate model of fluid dynamics on a larger scale. Though the later FHP gas improved on the HPP gas by using a
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hexagonal lattice for more realistic results, the HPP gas is where things began.
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Open <a href="open:Patterns/Other-Rules/HPP-demo.rle">HPP-demo.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Langtons-Ant">Langtons-Ant</a></b><br>
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Chris Langton's other famous CA. An ant walks around on a binary landscape, collecting and depositing pheremones.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Other-Rules/Langtons-Ant.rle">Langtons-Ant.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Langtons-Loops">Langtons-Loops</a></b><br>
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The original loop. Chris Langton adapted Codd's 1968 CA to support a simple form of
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self-replication based on a circulating loop of instructions.
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To see the rule in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Langtons-Loops.rle">Langtons-Loops.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:LifeHistory">LifeHistory</a></b><br>
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A 7-state extension of the HistoricalLife rule from MCell, allowing for on and off marked cells (states 3 and 4) as
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well as the history envelope (state 2). State 3 is useful for labels and other identifying marks, since an active
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pattern can touch or even cross it without being affected. State 5 is an alternate marked ON state most often
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used to mark a 'starting' location; once a cell changes to state 2, it can not return to this start state.
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State 6 cells kill any adjacent live cells; they are intended to be used as boundaries between subpatterns, e.g.
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in an active stamp collection where flying debris from one subpattern might adversely affect another subpattern.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Life/Signal-Circuitry/Herschel-conduit-stamp-collection.rle">Herschel-conduit-stamp-collection.rle</a>
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for an example using all of LifeHistory's extra states.
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<p><b><a href="rule:LifeOnTheEdge">LifeOnTheEdge</a></b><br>
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A CA proposed by Franklin T. Adams-Watters in which all the action occurs on
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the edges of a square grid. Each edge can be on or off and has six neighbors,
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three at each end. An edge is on in the next generation iff exactly two of the
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edges in its seven edge neighborhood (including the edge itself) are on.
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This implementation has 3 live states with suitable icons that allow any pattern
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of edges to be created.
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Open <a href="open:Patterns/Other-Rules/life-on-the-edge.rle">life-on-the-edge.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:LifeOnTheSlope">LifeOnTheSlope</a></b><br>
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The same behavior as LifeOnTheEdge but patterns are rotated by 45 degrees.
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This implementation has only 2 live states (with icons \ and /), so it's a lot easier
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to enter patterns and they run faster.
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Open <a href="open:Patterns/Other-Rules/life-on-the-slope.rle">life-on-the-slope.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Perrier">Perrier</a></b><br>
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Perrier extended Langton's Loops to allow for universal computation.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Perrier-Loop.rle">Perrier-Loop.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Sand-Margolus-emulated">Sand-Margolus-emulated</a></b><br>
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MCell's Sand rule is a simple simulation of falling sand particles.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Margolus/Sand.rle">Sand.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:SDSR-Loop">SDSR-Loop</a></b><br>
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An extension of Langton's Loops, designed to cause dead loops to disappear,
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allowing other loops to replicate further.
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To see the rule in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/SDSR-Loop.rle">SDSR-Loop.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:StarWars">StarWars</a></b><br>
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An alternative implementation of the Generations rule 345/2/4.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Tempesti">Tempesti</a></b><br>
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A programmable loop that can construct shapes inside itself after replication.
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To see the rule in action, open
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<a href="open:Patterns/Loops/Tempesti-Loop.rle">Tempesti-Loop.rle</a>.
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This loop prints the letters 'LSL' inside each copy — the initials of Tempesti's university group.
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<p><b><a href="rule:TMGasMargolus_emulated">TMGasMargolus_emulated</a></b><br>
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A different version of the HPP gas, implemented in the Margolus neighborhood, see
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<a href="open:Patterns/Margolus/TMGas.rle">TMGas.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:TripATronMargolus_emulated">TripATronMargolus_emulated</a></b><br>
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The Trip-A-Tron rule in the Margolus neighborhood.
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See <a href="open:Patterns/Margolus/TripATron.rle">TripATron.rle</a>.
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<p><b><a href="rule:WireWorld">WireWorld</a></b><br>
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A 4-state CA created by Brian Silverman.
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WireWorld models the flow of currents in wires and makes it relatively
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easy to build logic gates and other digital circuits.
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Open <a href="open:Patterns/WireWorld/primes.mc">primes.mc</a>
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and the other examples in Patterns/WireWorld/.
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<p><b><a href="rule:Worm-1040512">Worm-1040512</a>,
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<a href="rule:Worm-1042015">Worm-1042015</a>,
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<a href="rule:Worm-1042020">Worm-1042020</a>,
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<a href="rule:Worm-1252121">Worm-1252121</a>,
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<a href="rule:Worm-1525115">Worm-1525115</a></b><br>
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Examples of Paterson's Worms, a simulation created by Mike Paterson in which a
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worm travels around a triangular grid according to certain rules.
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There's also a rule called <b><a href="rule:Worm-complement">Worm-complement</a></b>
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which can be used to show the uneaten edges within a solid region.
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Open <a href="open:Patterns/Patersons-Worms/worm-1040512.rle">worm-1040512.rle</a>
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and the other examples in Patterns/Patersons-Worms/.
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<font size=+1><b>References:</b></font>
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<p><b>Banks-I, Banks-II, Banks-III, Banks-IV</b> (1971)<br>
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<i>E. R. Banks. "Information Processing and Transmission in Cellular Automata" PhD Thesis, MIT, 1971.</i>
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<p><b>Byl-Loop</b> (1989)<br>
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<i>J. Byl. "Self-Reproduction in small cellular automata." Physica D, Vol. 34, pages 295-299, 1989.</i>
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<p><b>Chou-Reggia-1</b> and <b>Chou-Reggia-2</b> (1993)<br>
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<i>J. A. Reggia, S. L. Armentrout, H.-H. Chou, and Y. Peng.
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"Simple systems that exhibit self-directed replication."
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Science, Vol. 259, pages 1282-1287, February 1993.</i>
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<p><b>Codd</b> (1968)<br>
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<i>E. F. Codd, "Cellular Automata" Academic Press, New York, 1968.</i>
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<p><b>Devore</b> (1973)<br>
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<i>Devore, J. and Hightower, R. (1992) "The Devore variation of the Codd self-replicating computer"
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Third Workshop on Artificial Life, Santa Fe, New Mexico,
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Original work carried out in the 1970s though apparently never published.
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Reported by John R. Koza, "Artificial life: spontaneous emergence of
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self-replicating and evolutionary self-improving computer programs,"
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in Christopher G. Langton, Artificial Life III, Proc. Volume XVII
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Santa Fe Institute Studies in the Sciences of Complexity,
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Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, New York, 1994, p. 260.</i>
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<p><b>Evoloop</b> (1999)<br>
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<i>Hiroki Sayama "Toward the Realization of an Evolving Ecosystem on Cellular Automata",
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Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics (AROB 4th '99),
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M. Sugisaka and H. Tanaka, eds., pp.254-257, Beppu, Oita, Japan, 1999.</i>
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<p><b>HPP</b> (1973)<br>
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<i>J. Hardy, O. de Pazzis, and Y. Pomeau. J. Math. Phys. 14, 470, 1973.</i>
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<p><b>Langtons-Ant</b> (1986)<br>
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<i>C. G. Langton. "Studying artificial life with cellular automata" Physica D 2(1-3):120-149, 1986.</i>
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<p><b>Langtons-Loops</b> (1984)<br>
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<i>C. G. Langton. "Self-reproduction in cellular automata." Physica D, Vol. 10, pages 135-144, 1984.</i>
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<p><b>Paterson's Worms</b> (1973)<br>
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See these sites for a good description and the latest results:</a><br>
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<a href="http://www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_10_24_03.html">http://www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_10_24_03.html</a><br>
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<a href="http://wso.williams.edu/%7Ebchaffin/patersons_worms/">http://wso.williams.edu/~Ebchaffin/patersons_worms/</a><br>
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<a href="http://tomas.rokicki.com/worms.html">http://tomas.rokicki.com/worms.html</a>
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<p><b>Perrier</b> (1996)<br>
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<i>J.-Y. Perrier, M. Sipper, and J. Zahnd.
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<a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.21.3200">"Toward a viable, self-reproducing universal computer"</a>
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Physica D 97: 335-352. 1996</i>
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<p><b>SDSR-Loop</b> (1998)<br>
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<i>Hiroki Sayama. "Introduction of Structural Dissolution into Langton's Self-Reproducing Loop."
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Artificial Life VI: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Artificial Life,
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C. Adami, R. K. Belew, H. Kitano, and C. E. Taylor, eds., pp.114-122, Los Angeles, California, 1998, MIT Press.</i>
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<p><b>Tempesti</b> (1995)<br>
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<i>G. Tempesti. "A New Self-Reproducing Cellular Automaton Capable of Construction and Computation".
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Advances in Artificial Life, Proc. 3rd European Conference on Artificial Life, Granada, Spain, June 4-6, 1995,
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Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, 929, Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1995, pp. 555-563.</i>
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<p><b>WireWorld</b> (1987)<br>
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<i>A. K. Dewdney, Computer Recreations. Scientific American 282:136-139, 1990.</i>
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