The Powder Toy

Extremely compact programming system by Technomancer

Technomancer
Technomancer
95 / 5
2nd Aug 2015
3rd Aug 2015
This is an intriguing consequence of Ogsterduck's 'CRAY life' save. If you know what to do with this, please make whatever use of it you can. A more detailed explanation can be found in the save itself.
tptrevolution icantunderstand pseudorandom revolution complicated peculiar

Comments

  • Technomancer
    Technomancer     3rd Aug 2015
    Press 'R' and TPT will record every frame as a separate image file. Presumably it should be possible to stitch these together into a movie, then just run it backwards. I realise that's not quite what you meant, but it would still help a bit I should think. For instance you could look at the various steps that lead to a certain result, and determine which would be the easiest state to induce from outside (maybe using CRAY and DRAY)
  • gollark8
    gollark8     3rd Aug 2015
    If you could somehow reverse the TPT simulation, it would be a trivial matter to figure out the inputs for a certain output. However, lots of inputs could produce the same output: think STKM moving left or right from different starts to get to the same place.
  • oldmud0
    oldmud0     3rd Aug 2015
    There is a reason why we do not make programs using freeform cellular automata: they can go all over the place before they perform the intended behavior. It could take many many generations for something "useful" to happen, and in your case a lot of garbage output. For this reason we are more inclined to use more controllable forms of automata such as WireWorld.
  • Schmolendevice
    Schmolendevice     3rd Aug 2015
    Thing is in the end there will always be a finite sequence of starting states that can programmed, and furthermore a finite portion of that set which will be stable. Hence sadly in truth there will ultimately be a large set of output sequences that will NOT have a 'solution' for the starting sequence that produces them. Just the notion that a finite or even chaotic piece of data can never produce more (combinations of) information than possibilities of the starting system.
  • Schmolendevice
    Schmolendevice     3rd Aug 2015
    Fascinating. I think at one point I was wondering if a small device could be used to compress and produce fixed data chaotically. One could consider applications of using these as little 'CDs' that output data to a sequence of FILT particles. Even as a 'microcontroller' you would need a VERY complex program with which to calculate the exact starting states.
  • LOLOWY
    LOLOWY     3rd Aug 2015
    for me it's like pi number... it has neverending sequence with no pattern whatsoever but difference from pi is that we know that end of sequence exists...
  • janekbe04
    janekbe04     3rd Aug 2015
    ^ x 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
  • sentinal-5
    sentinal-5     3rd Aug 2015
    also, i'm not certain, because i don't know exactly what's going on and don't know how to plot the output in such a way as to find out, but i'm pretty sure the output is a fractal? i hope that's useful to someone.
  • sentinal-5
    sentinal-5     3rd Aug 2015
    my friend.. you have just created something with the potential to revolutionize TPT the way the transistor revolutionized the world. it is times like these that i wish i could upvote more than once. fav'd so i can follow progress.
  • Technomancer
    Technomancer     3rd Aug 2015
    @Choiahin, I think it would be easier to find a sequence that is vaguely like what you need, then match the outputs to the right devices and maybe tweak it with a few external switches. Remember you could attach several of the outputs to one device, or just not use some of them.