The Game of Life

• Individuals live on a 2-D rectangular lattice and don’t move.

• Some sites are occupied, others are empty.

• If fewer than 2 of your 8 nearest neighbors are alive, you die of isolation.

• If 2 or 3 of your neighbors are alive, you survive.

• If 3 neighbors are alive, an empty site gives birth.

• If more than 3 of your neighbors are alive, you die from overcrowding.

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Popularized by John Conway in the 1970’s

Gliders, blinkers, traffic lights

Local rules govern global behavior

Many other rules are possible