The Complete Beginner's Guide to Conway's Game of Life

Conway's Game of Life is a fascinating cellular automaton that has captivated mathematicians, programmers, and curious minds for over 50 years. Created by mathematician John Conway in 1970, this zero-player game demonstrates how complex behaviors can emerge from simple rules.

What is Conway's Game of Life?

The Game of Life consists of a grid of cells that can be either alive or dead. The game evolves in discrete time steps according to four simple rules:

1. Any live cell with fewer than two live neighbors dies (underpopulation)
2. Any live cell with two or three live neighbors survives
3. Any live cell with more than three live neighbors dies (overpopulation)
4. Any dead cell with exactly three live neighbors becomes alive (reproduction)

Essential Patterns Every Beginner Should Know

Still Lifes: These patterns never change from generation to generation. The simplest examples include the Block, Beehive, Loaf, and Boat.

Oscillators: These patterns repeat their configuration after a fixed number of generations. Start with the Blinker (period 2), Toad (period 2), and Beacon (period 2).

Spaceships: These patterns move across the grid while maintaining their shape. The Glider is the most famous, moving diagonally every 4 generations.

Getting Started

Begin by exploring these fundamental patterns to understand how the rules create different behaviors. The Gosper Glider Gun is particularly interesting as it creates an infinite stream of gliders, proving that the Game of Life can exhibit unlimited growth.