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For Hobbyists & Makers · Elementary CA

Elementary CA for a sandpile avalanche

Built for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker. Simulate a sandpile avalanche live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Elementary Cellular AutomataLive

Wolfram's 256 rules

Controls

Presets

Rule number

Random initial row

Each cell's next state depends only on itself and its two neighbors, giving 256 possible rules. Rule 30 is chaotic (used as a random generator); Rule 110 is proven Turing-complete; Rule 90 draws a Sierpinski triangle.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Rule30

Binary00011110

Classcomplex

Governing equation

s_{i}^{'} = f (s_{i - 1}, s_{i}, s_{i + 1}), rule = 30

Reading this result: Rule 30 is chaotic: from a single seed it never settles into a pattern, which is why its center column is used as a random-number generator.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for hobbyists & makers?: Yes — this version of "Elementary CA for a sandpile avalanche" is framed for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.