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
3
5
N
O
P
T
References
- "Life Credits". Mark D. Niemiec. Retrieved on June 10, 2009.
- Dean Hickerson at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
External links
- Dean Hickerson's Game of Life Page (hosted by Tomas Rokicki)