Cellular Automaton Rules

States

• 0: Empty cell
• 1: Active cell (alive and replicating)
• 2-7: Countdown states (timing mechanism)

Rules

1. Growth Rule

Empty cells with exactly 1 active neighbor start a birth countdown (state 2)

[0][1]  →  [2][1]

2. Birth Progression

Countdown states advance each step:

• State 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 1 (becomes active)
• This creates a 6-step delay before birth

3. Death Rule

Active cells die if:

• Isolated (0 neighbors) - starts death countdown
• Overcrowded (>2 neighbors) - starts death countdown

[1] with 0 neighbors → [7] → [0] (dies)

4. Survival

Active cells with 1-2 neighbors stay active

Replication Pattern

Starting from a single cell, it grows outward:

Step 0:    [1]
Step 1:  [2][1][2]
Step 7:  [1][1][1]  (after countdown completes)