Ninth Homework Set Answers

6. First, note that the only configuration generating two consecutive live cells is live, dead, dead, live (left). The other possibilities, superimposing the configurations to produce the individual live cells, cannot generate the pair of live cells (right).

Now add a third live cell, in red.

One of two configurations is needed to make this cell live:

Live, dead, dead (left), but this destroys the possibility of the middle cell's living.

Dead, dead, live (right), but interaction with the previous configuration keeps this right cell from becoming alive.

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