Toad

Toad is a period-2 oscillator that was found by Simon Norton in May 1970.[1] It is one of very few known oscillators that is a polyomino in one of its phases. Toads often appear in large, complex patterns because of their ability to eat things when paired together (as in killer toads). Additionally, toads are useful as building blocks for constructing large oscillators with periods that are a multiple of two because of the various ways in which they can be hassled.

Toad
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Pattern type Oscillator
Number of cells 6
Bounding box 4×4
Frequency class 7.1
Period 2
Mod 2
Heat 8
Volatility 0.80
Strict volatility 0.80
Rotor type Toad
Discovered by Simon Norton
Year of discovery 1970

Commonness

Toad is the second most common naturally-occurring oscillator in Achim Flammenkamp's census, although blinkers occur more than a hundred times as frequently.[2] It is also the eleventh most common object on Adam P. Goucher's Catagolue.[3]

Toad flippers

A toad flipper is a hassler that works by having two domino sparkers (pentadecathlons in the example shown below) apply their sparks to the toad in order to flip it over.[4] When the sparks are applied again, the toad is flipped back. Either or both domino sparkers can be moved down two cells from the position shown and the toad flipper will still work, but because of symmetry there are really only two different types of toad flippers. For another example of a toad flipper, see 186P24 and the period 4 turning toads wick.

One particular toad flipper -- the arrow indicates 30 generations of evolution
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Toad suckers

A toad sucker is a toad hassler that works by having two domino sparkers (pentadecathlons in the example shown below) apply their sparks to the toad in order to shift it.[5] When the sparks are applied again, the toad is shifted back. Either or both domino sparkers can be moved down two cells from the position shown and the toad sucker will still work, but because of symmetry there are really only three different types of toad suckers. A p4 example is shown in the "subsequent improvement of the p44 gun" as a sparker in the p44 pi-heptomino hassler article.

One particular toad sucker -- the arrow indicates 30 generations of evolution
Download RLE: click here

Additionally, moving toad suckers have been created that use the domino sparks from two parallel dragons to escort a toad at one-sixth of the speed of light.

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See also

References
  1. Dean Hickerson's oscillator stamp collection. Retrieved on March 14, 2020.
  2. Achim Flammenkamp (September 7, 2004). "Most seen natural occurring ash objects in Game of Life". Retrieved on January 15, 2009.
  3. Adam P. Goucher. "Statistics". Catagolue. Retrieved on June 24, 2016.
  4. "Toad-flipper". The Life Lexicon. Stephen Silver. Retrieved on May 16, 2009.
  5. "Toad-sucker". The Life Lexicon. Stephen Silver. Retrieved on May 16, 2009.
  • 6P2.1 at Heinrich Koenig's Game of Life Object Catalogs
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