Beacon

	Beacon
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Pattern type	Oscillator
Oscillator type	Babbling brook
Family	Beacon
Number of cells	6
Bounding box	4×4
Frequency class	8.8
Period	2
Mod	2
Heat	2
Volatility	0.25
Strict volatility	0.25
Rotor type	Diagonal on-off
Discovered by	John Conway
Year of discovery	1970
Rules
Outer-totalistic rules	B3/S23 – B35678/S235678
Important rules	Conway Life, HighLife
# of rules	28 = 256
Isotropic rules	B3a/S2ae3a – B2-an34-w5678/S01234-q5678
Glider synthesis
Fewest gliders	3
Catagolue-generated RLE	beacon_synth.rle
Uploaded synthesis RLE	beacon_synth.rle
Pattern files
Plaintext	beacon.cells
RLE	beacon.rle
Identifiers
apgcode	xp2_318c
Pentadecathlon ID	6P2.2

The beacon is a common period-2 oscillator, composed of two diagonally touching blocks. It was found by John Conway in March 1970.[1]

The beacon is the simplest on-off. Its rotor, known as diagonal on-off, can be supported by several different stators: the two next-smallest are seen in eater plug, mangled 1 beacon and 21P2.

A beacon in the right phase can trigger the boat-bit reaction.

It can, in some sense, be considered a billiard table.[2]

Commonness

The beacon is the third most common oscillator in Achim Flammenkamp's census (after the blinker and toad).[3] It is also the thirteenth most common object on Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue.[4]

tlife and its related rules have the transition 4q, making beacon an 8-cell still life systematically named "block-tie".

gollark: v = end velocity, u = start velocity, a = acceleration, s = distance.

gollark: My physics data/formulæ sheet says v² = u² + 2as.

gollark: I think there's an equation for that.

gollark: Ask the question, I guess? people MIGHT be able to help.

gollark: The names don't correspond to actual dimensions now, though.

Dean Hickerson's oscillator stamp collection. Retrieved on March 14, 2020.
Dave Greene (July 3, 2019). Re: Thread for basic questions (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
Achim Flammenkamp (September 7, 2004). "Most seen natural occurring ash objects in Game of Life". Retrieved on January 15, 2009.
Adam P. Goucher. "Statistics". Catagolue. Retrieved on June 24, 2016.

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