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Discrete computational systems where cells on a grid evolve through time steps based on local neighbor rules, producing emergent complexity.
Cellular automata consist of a grid of cells, each in one of a finite number of states. At each time step, every cell updates simultaneously based on a rule that considers the cell's current state and its immediate neighbors.
Game of Life Rules
Conway's Game of Life rules (B3/S23): • Birth: a dead cell with exactly 3 live neighbors becomes alive • Survival: a live cell with 2 or 3 live neighbors survives • Death: all other live cells die (overcrowding or isolation)
function step(grid: boolean[][]) {
const next = grid.map(row => [...row]);
for (let y = 0; y < H; y++)
for (let x = 0; x < W; x++) {
const n = countNeighbors(grid, x, y);
next[y][x] = n === 3 || (grid[y][x] && n === 2);
}
return next;
}From these minimal rules emerge gliders (patterns that translate across the grid), oscillators (patterns that cycle through states), and even self-replicating structures. Conway's Game of Life is actually Turing-complete — capable of universal computation.
Many rule variants exist beyond B3/S23. Wolfram's elementary automata are 1D systems with 256 possible rules — Rule 30 generates chaos from order, while Rule 110 is Turing-complete. In algorithmic art, custom rule sets are designed to produce specific visual textures and patterns.
Use these sections to discover artworks, read technical context, and navigate the full algorithmic art ecosystem.
