How to Find and Identify Oscillators in Conway's Game of Life

Oscillators are patterns that return to their initial state after a fixed number of generations. Understanding oscillators is crucial for advanced Game of Life exploration and construction.

What Makes a Pattern an Oscillator?

An oscillator has a period - the number of generations it takes to return to its starting configuration. The simplest oscillator is the Blinker with period 2, alternating between a horizontal and vertical line of 3 cells.

Common Oscillator Periods

Period 2: The most common oscillators include Blinker, Toad, Beacon, and Clock. These form the foundation of many larger constructions.

Period 3: The Pulsar is the most famous period-3 oscillator, known for its symmetric pulsating motion.

Period 4: Mazing and Mold represent this category, with more complex internal dynamics.

Higher Periods: The Pentadecathlon (period 15) and Queen Bee Shuttle (period 30) are examples of longer-period oscillators.

Oscillator Components

Rotor: The part that changes between generations Stator: The part that remains constant (if any)

Record-Breaking Oscillators

Smallest period 5: Octagon 2
Smallest period 7: Burloaferimeter
Smallest period 14: Tumbler
First period 110: P110 Traffic Jam

Finding New Oscillators

Modern oscillator searches use computer programs to systematically explore possible configurations. Key search techniques include:

Brute force searches for small periods
Hassling existing patterns
Engineering using known components