Generation 0
Five cells inside 3 x 3
Start by checking how little information the seed gives you. The useful surprise is that this tiny shape is already enough to create a long, messy history.
Methuselahs
R-pentomino
A five-cell seed that takes over one thousand generations to stabilize.
The R-pentomino is the classic proof that small initial conditions can create unexpectedly long histories: five cells in a 3 x 3 box eventually stabilize with 116 cells and six escaping gliders.
Run R-pentomino for 1,103 generations
R-pentomino begins with five live cells inside a 3 x 3 box, stays active for 1,103 generations, and stabilizes into 116 live cells including 6 escaping gliders. Run this page when you want the exact seed and its live evolution.
Methuselahs5 cells3 x 3 box1,103 generations lifespanfinal: 116 cells, including 6 gliders
- Category
- Methuselahs
- Period
- Long-lived seed
- Movement
- bounded
- Population
- 5 cells
- Bounding box
- 3 x 3
- Lifespan
- 1,103 generations
- Final state
- 116 cells, including 6 gliders
- Known since
- 1970
R-pentomino run guide
Run it slowly before jumping to generation 1,103
If you came here for the R-pentomino seed, its 1,103-generation lifespan, or final population 116, watch the first few ticks, then let the long transient run on a wide board.
Early ticks
The shape stops being hand-readable
Step slowly through the first few generations. The pattern quickly stops looking like a pentomino and starts producing local debris that is hard to predict by eye.
Long middle
Use a roomy board
A cramped board gives the wrong lesson because boundary effects clip the reaction. The point is to let the debris and gliders travel without hitting the edge.
Final ash
116 cells and 6 escaping gliders
After 1,103 generations, the standard evolution settles into 116 live cells including six gliders. That final census is why this page calls out the number directly.
Generation checkpoints for searchers
These are the checkpoints most readers look for when they compare a small methuselah seed with its final population.
Generation 0
Tiny 3 x 3 seed
The start has only five live cells inside a 3 x 3 box. This is the canonical R-pentomino seed used for the run.
Generation 10
Compact reaction
The pattern is already no longer visually obvious. Single-step mode helps show how births and deaths stop matching the original pentomino.
Generation 100
Wide transient
The reaction has spread far enough that a small board becomes misleading. Use the embedded lab view before judging the final result.
Generation 1,103
Stable ash plus gliders
The standard census is 116 live cells, including 6 escaping gliders, after the long-lived transient finishes.
What to watch
- The first few generations look compact, then the reaction spreads.
- A large board is needed to avoid boundary effects.
- The final ash contains still lifes, oscillators, and six escaping gliders.
How to use it
Use it to teach emergent complexity from very small seeds.
Open the pattern in the lab, reduce the speed, and use single-step mode when a phase change is hard to see. The green preview marks births in the next generation; red outlines mark live cells that will die.
Fast answers
Common questions about R-pentomino
Is R-pentomino a 3x3 methuselah?
Yes. The R-pentomino has five live cells inside a 3 x 3 bounding box and is the classic compact methuselah example.
What is the final population of the R-pentomino?
The standard R-pentomino evolution stabilizes with 116 live cells, including 6 escaping gliders, after 1,103 generations.
Why is the R-pentomino called a methuselah?
It starts very small but stays active for an unusually long time before settling into final ash and escaping gliders.
What board size should I use for the R-pentomino?
Use a roomy board so debris and gliders are not clipped by the boundary. The live lab starts on a wide board for that reason.