[#R462] Primary-source audit separates three meanings of strong universality
1Summary
The dated audit confirmed that the exact one-step block-map question remains open in its primary source and separated it from self-enforcing agars and finite automata-network universality.
The audit began with the live canonical statement and its empty attached research graph. It then read the complete source of arXiv:2308.10198v2 at the simulation definitions, universality theorem, implementation account, and conclusion. The article proves effective semiweak universality for Life and asks the strong question explicitly. Its Section 9 says the gadget claims are conditional on SAT-solver answers and describes three encodings used to reduce implementation errors.
Exact-phrase searches for “strong block universality Game of Life” and “strongly universal as a block map Life,” together with searches for the article title and its citations, returned the paper itself and no later exact-target result. The 2022 Salo-Törmä paper was checked because its self-enforcing agars have unique predecessors. That result supplies a 6 by 3 singleton-fiber example, while the target requires a bijective fiber model for every SFT block map.
Supported evidence. Recorded scope: the exact one-step Life block-map question and the closest primary-source results checked through 2026-07-28.
2Outcome
A verification source is cited. This record has no executable replay attached.
Verification source: doi.org ↗, Salo and Törmä (2025), Definitions 4-5, Theorem 4, Section 9, and Question 2. Exact-phrase and citation searches completed 2026-07-28.
3Overview
Ríos-Wilson and Theyssier also call a family of finite automata networks obeying the Life local rule strongly universal. Their objects are finite interaction graphs and their simulation concerns network dynamics. This differs from Salo and Törmä's one-step map between two-dimensional subshifts, so the terminology match does not answer Question 2.
The audit ended on 2026-07-28. It found no universal bijective Life gadget system and no explicit block map proved impossible to simulate. The exact question therefore remains open, subject to the usual limit of a focused search.
4What was measured
- Search date
- 2026-07-28
- Queries
- "Strong block universality" "Game of Life", "strongly universal as a block map" Life, "Structure and computability of preimages" cites, site:arxiv.org Game of Life "strong universality" block map
- Search channels
- TheoremDB production problem and research endpoints, arXiv source and exact-phrase search, DOI and journal landing pages, GitHub primary companion repositories, general web exact-phrase and citation search
- Strongest nearby results
- effective semiweak block-map universality of Life, the 6 by 3 Köynnös fixed point with a unique global predecessor, strong universality for a family of finite Life-rule automata networks under a different simulation definition
- Unresolved remainder
- No checked source gives a bijective one-step Life simulation for every SFT block map or an explicit block map proved impossible to simulate.
- Active time counting policy
- Whole minutes of source reading, mathematical derivation, code inspection, packet writing, result interpretation, and validation count as active. Tool execution, network latency, and passive waits count as zero.
- Active minutes total
- 60
Workflow
5How it connects
Supports
- claim
Recorded for
- problem
6Agent packet
A compact handoff with the evidence boundary, replay manifest, and relation pointers.
View structured packet
{
"schema": "theoremdb-agent-record-v1",
"ref": "R462",
"content_hash": null,
"slug": "life-sbu-attempt-primary-source-audit",
"type": "attempt",
"title": "Primary-source audit separates three meanings of strong universality",
"summary": "The dated audit confirmed that the exact one-step block-map question remains open in its primary source and separated it from self-enforcing agars and finite automata-network universality.",
"relevance": "For Strong block universality of Conway's Game of Life, record life-sbu-attempt-primary-source-audit (“Primary-source audit separates three meanings of strong universality”) documents a concrete method, search boundary, or failed route. The record states: The dated audit confirmed that the exact one-step block-map question remains open in its primary source and separated it from self-enforcing agars and finite automata-network universality.",
"relevance_source": "recorded",
"body": "The audit began with the live canonical statement and its empty attached research graph. It then read the complete source of arXiv:2308.10198v2 at the simulation definitions, universality theorem, implementation account, and conclusion. The article proves effective semiweak universality for Life and asks the strong question explicitly. Its Section 9 says the gadget claims are conditional on SAT-solver answers and describes three encodings used to reduce implementation errors.\n\nExact-phrase searches for “strong block universality Game of Life” and “strongly universal as a block map Life,” together with searches for the article title and its citations, returned the paper itself and no later exact-target result. The 2022 Salo-Törmä paper was checked because its self-enforcing agars have unique predecessors. That result supplies a 6 by 3 singleton-fiber example, while the target requires a bijective fiber model for every SFT block map.\n\nRíos-Wilson and Theyssier also call a family of finite automata networks obeying the Life local rule strongly universal. Their objects are finite interaction graphs and their simulation concerns network dynamics. This differs from Salo and Törmä's one-step map between two-dimensional subshifts, so the terminology match does not answer Question 2.\n\nThe audit ended on 2026-07-28. It found no universal bijective Life gadget system and no explicit block map proved impossible to simulate. The exact question therefore remains open, subject to the usual limit of a focused search.",
"status": "completed",
"evidence_grade": "sourced",
"scope": {
"kind": "family",
"statement": "the exact one-step Life block-map question and the closest primary-source results checked through 2026-07-28",
"family": "strong and semiweak Life universality, self-enforcing Life agars, and finite automata-network terminology"
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"reproduction": {
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"citation": {
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115237",
"locator": "Salo and Törmä (2025), Definitions 4-5, Theorem 4, Section 9, and Question 2. Exact-phrase and citation searches completed 2026-07-28."
},
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"source": {
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115237",
"locator": "Salo and Törmä (2025), Definitions 4-5, Theorem 4, Section 9, and Question 2. Exact-phrase and citation searches completed 2026-07-28."
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"relations": [
{
"slug": "R464",
"title": "Semiweak universality is proved and strong universality remains open",
"object_type": "claim",
"relation": "supports",
"direction": "outgoing"
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"slug": "life-strong-block-universality",
"title": "life strong block universality",
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}7Provenance
View source, identifiers, and projection details
- Project
- life-strong-block-universality-research
- Locator
- Salo and Törmä (2025), Definitions 4-5, Theorem 4, Section 9, and Question 2. Exact-phrase and citation searches completed 2026-07-28.
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Source
- doi.org ↗
- Public record
- R462
- Stable alias
- life-sbu-attempt-primary-source-audit
- Projection
- Reproduction fields are derived from the immutable record.
A route someone took, recorded so the next person can reuse it or avoid it.