RosettaCodeData/Task/Langtons-ant/00DESCRIPTION

[[wp:Langton's ant|Langton's ant]] is a cellular automaton that models an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant ant] sitting on a plane of cells, all of which are white initially, the ant facing in one of four directions.

Each cell can either be black or white.

The ant moves according to the color of the cell it is currently sitting in, with the following rules:
::# &nbsp; If the cell is black, it changes to white and the ant turns left;
::# &nbsp; If the cell is white, it changes to black and the ant turns right;
::# &nbsp; The ant then moves forward to the next cell, and repeat from step 1.

<br>This rather simple ruleset leads to an initially chaotic movement pattern, and after about 10000 steps, a cycle appears where the ant moves steadily away from the starting location in a diagonal corridor about 10 cells wide.
Conceptually the ant can then walk infinitely far away.


;Task:
Start the ant near the center of a 100<small>x</small>100 field of cells, which is about big enough to contain the initial chaotic part of the movement.

Follow the movement rules for the ant, terminate when it moves out of the region, and show the cell colors it leaves behind.


The problem has received some analysis; for more details, please take a look at the Wikipedia article &nbsp; (a link is below)..


;See also:
* &nbsp; Wikipedia: &nbsp; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langton%27s_ant Langton's ant].


;Related task:
* &nbsp; Rosetta Code: &nbsp; [[Conway's Game of Life]].
<br><br>
June 2018 Update 2018-06-22 20:57:24 +00:00			`[[wp:Langton's ant\|Langton's ant]] is a cellular automaton that models an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant ant] sitting on a plane of cells, all of which are white initially, the ant facing in one of four directions.`

Just another update 2015-02-20 00:35:01 -05:00			`Each cell can either be black or white.`
June 2018 Update 2018-06-22 20:57:24 +00:00
Just another update 2015-02-20 00:35:01 -05:00			`The ant moves according to the color of the cell it is currently sitting in, with the following rules:`
2016 Update 2016-12-05 22:15:40 +01:00			`::#   If the cell is black, it changes to white and the ant turns left;`
			`::#   If the cell is white, it changes to black and the ant turns right;`
			`::#   The ant then moves forward to the next cell, and repeat from step 1.`
A-M baby 2013-04-10 21:29:02 -07:00
June 2018 Update 2018-06-22 20:57:24 +00:00			`<br>This rather simple ruleset leads to an initially chaotic movement pattern, and after about 10000 steps, a cycle appears where the ant moves steadily away from the starting location in a diagonal corridor about 10 cells wide.`
			`Conceptually the ant can then walk infinitely far away.`
A-M baby 2013-04-10 21:29:02 -07:00
2016 Update 2016-12-05 22:15:40 +01:00
			`;Task:`
June 2018 Update 2018-06-22 20:57:24 +00:00			`Start the ant near the center of a 100<small>x</small>100 field of cells, which is about big enough to contain the initial chaotic part of the movement.`
2016 Update 2016-12-05 22:15:40 +01:00
Just another update 2015-02-20 00:35:01 -05:00			`Follow the movement rules for the ant, terminate when it moves out of the region, and show the cell colors it leaves behind.`
A-M baby 2013-04-10 21:29:02 -07:00
Just another update 2015-02-20 00:35:01 -05:00
2016 Update 2016-12-05 22:15:40 +01:00			`The problem has received some analysis; for more details, please take a look at the Wikipedia article   (a link is below)..`


			`;See also:`
			`*   Wikipedia:   [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langton%27s_ant Langton's ant].`


			`;Related task:`
			`*   Rosetta Code:   [[Conway's Game of Life]].`
			`<br><br>`