Dean Hickerson

Dean Robert Hickerson is a mathematician and Life enthusiast who has made many major contributions to the Game of Life.

Dean Hickerson
Born Unknown
Residence United States
Nationality Unknown
Institutions Unknown
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley

In 1989 Hickerson created the first oscillator search program with which he found many small, low-period oscillators, such as caterer, Monogram, and fumarole. He has since found many sparkers as well as billiard tables, including the first known period-17 oscillators.

Hickerson also used automated searches to discover the first spaceships other than the glider and the various speed c/2 orthogonal spaceships; these new spaceships traveled at speeds c/3, c/4, and 2c/5. In addition to these, he discovered the first diagonal c/4 spaceship other than the glider, as well as the first period 2 spaceships. He again advanced spaceship technology when, in 1991, he successfully combined thirteen switch engines to create the first c/12 diagonal spaceship, the 13-engine Cordership.

In 1991 Hickerson created the first sawtooth, sawtooth 1212, using one of his c/3 spaceships, the turtle.

Patterns found by Dean Hickerson

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gollark: Fascinating.
gollark: What the apioform is a SystemFC?
gollark: Whatsapp? Bad.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: That would probably end up doubling compile times somehow.

References
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