BB(6) hunt
Machines / W4-8

1RB1RA_1LC0RE_1LE0LD_0LB1LB_1RA0LF_1LD---

W4-8ParkedUnknownbbchallenge ↗Explorer

Where it stands

Parked at the deeper analysis

Parked 2026-10-12 (Dennis: apply recommendations (2026-10-12)): Keep parked (STUCK). Funded seams stage (2026-10-10) ended by its stop rule: the seam alphabet is still growing at 1e10.

Read the full status

A lossless phase-tracked token extractor (verified against tools/sim.py) gives 513/783/1,028 distinct seam words at 1e8/1e9/1e10. Abstracted counts also grow: 449/662/844 with runs abstracted, and 182/226/270 elementary pieces. Collision types are 416/635/842. Deposits turn into u-runs through long (10)-runs (up to (10)^8429), and the result depends on residues and local context. No closed language was built. Pointing the other way: re-drawing run lengths in real cycle starts gives 0/1,200 halts. C reads 0 only at the blank left edge (33,051 of 33,051 cycles, never inside), so non-halting is equivalent to one invariant: D never steps left onto 0 0 inside the tape. Not flagged as cryptid; the epoch-level length map is not modelled. Optional next step in decision.json.

Observe
Deepen
Informal proof
Rocq
space-time diagram, first 10,000 steps from blank
The first 10,000 steps from a blank tape. Time runs down; white is 1.
About this picture

The standard picture (bbchallenge.org's Default view): each row is the whole tape at one step, time runs downward, and the head's path draws the pattern.

bbchallenge-defaultStart blankRows steps 0 → 10,000, top to bottomWindow cells −200..199, left to rightColors 1 0 or unvisited

Overview

In one sentence

Bouncer over a 01001111 sea: quiet epochs (rule Q) validated; epoch changes are irregular and not closed yet.

Status
Parkedseams · updated 2026-10-12Not blocking · Stuck at the seams stage. Answer Q1–Q3 whenever; a “no” redirects the work.
idle since Oct 12 08:59 · status.json 2026-10-12
Class
Unknownours: sheet Unknown ≠ ours Fossil bouncer: one bounce per cycle over a sea of u = 01001111 with seams; the wall leaves 1-deposits that later fossilize · low confidence
On the list
line 578 of BB6_holdouts_663.txt · historical 740 line 644
eqv ×1table ×3sim 1e15
Your calls on file 5
priority call (answered)
Fund one stage to map the seam words and test a closed tape language, or park W4-8 as STUCK at observe?
parked
Parked 2026-10-12 (Dennis: apply recommendations (2026-10-12)): Keep parked (STUCK).
funded
option: seams · date: 2026-10-11
2026-10-11 · seams
Fund one 2 h stage to map the seam words and test a closed tape language for this table, or park W4-8 as STUCK at observe? (Dennis: go with recommendations (2026-10-11))
decision.json · answered 2026-10-12: park
Keep W4-8 parked, or fund one 2 h native search for a closed tape language that only has to forbid 00 <B inside the tape? Decisions →

Mechanism

How it works: 3 notes
  • The tape is a sea of u = 01001111 (any rotation) with short seams. Each cycle the head sweeps right (RS: 20 steps per block), turns at a wall and sweeps back (LS: 40 per block); the left turn LT adds 3 cells.
  • Quiet epoch (rule Q): the left reservoir u^a gains a block, the wall eats one block of u^b and leaves 111 behind (1^c +3), and the active sea shifts +5 cells. 248 consecutive cycles from 9.5e7 to 1.1e8 match Q exactly.
  • Epochs end when b runs out or a seam (riding right at +5 cells per cycle) reaches the wall; the 1-deposit then fossilizes and at irregular cycles u^a freezes into a new segment (22 freezes to 2e9, a = 9 ... 2535). No closed epoch grammar yet.

Figures for Checkpoint A

Fig 1 · bbchallenge default view, first 10,000 stepsviewer ↗

The site's view. The left edge grows; the stripes are the 01001111 sea, rewritten on every pass.

bbchallenge default view, first 10,000 steps
bbchallenge-defaultStart blankRows 10,000 steps squeezed into 500 px rowsWindow cells -200..199, 1 px = 1 cellColors 1 0 or never visited head after a right/left move
Rows: 1 px row = 20 steps; the site blends neighbouring steps
Fig 2 · Segment map to 1e9 stepsQ1

One row per 10 cycles. Follow the green turning point; compare grey wedges with the dark fossil blocks.

Segment map to 1e9 steps
customStart blankRows one per 10th left record in state BWindow cells -30,654..1159, 1 px = 32 cellsColors u-sea run of 6+ ones (10) run other cells (seams) this cycle's turning point never visited
Rows: 1,021 rows, steps 971..999,707,934; not evenly spaced in time, cycles get longer · Window: majority class of the 32 cells · Colors: blue: 01001111 in any rotation; bright = changed since the previous left record (active), dark = unchanged (fossil)
Fig 3 · One cycle of the quiet-epoch rule QQ2

Rows are single steps. Find the turn near cell 196; check whether any cell right of it changes.

One cycle of the quiet-epoch rule Q
bbchallenge-defaultStart constructed tape (below)Rows every step, steps 0..1,495Window cells -17..322, 1 px = 1 cellColors 1 0 or never visited head after a right/left move
Start: 0∞ <C (10100111)6 1 (110100)2 16 (10100111)4 (010011111)2 (11010011)2 (10100111)2 0100 110 (01001111)3 1 (10100)2 110 (10100111111)2 (10100111)3 0100 15 0∞ · Rows: one Q cycle is 60(a+b+d+e)+595 = 1,495 steps here; a=6, b=3, d=4, e=2 · Window: the start configuration covers cells 0..263; head starts at cell 0
More figures (2)Fig 4–5: Segment map to 2e7 steps, every cycle · Segment map to 1e10, right part
Fig 4 · Segment map to 2e7 steps, every cycle

Same colours, one row per cycle. Red diagonals are seams riding right; watch them meet the green wall.

Segment map to 2e7 steps, every cycle
customStart blankRows every left record in state BWindow cells -4050..421, 1 px = 4 cellsColors u-sea run of 6+ ones (10) run other cells (seams) this cycle's turning point never visited
Rows: 1,344 rows, steps 17..19,999,524; not evenly spaced in time · Window: majority class of the 4 cells · Colors: blue: 01001111 in any rotation; bright = changed since the previous left record (active), dark = unchanged (fossil)
Fig 5 · Segment map to 1e10, right part

Follow a grey wedge down to the row where it turns dark blue; compare the red seams left behind.

Segment map to 1e10, right part
customStart blankRows one per 30th left record in state CWindow cells -30,000..1687, 1 px = 32 cellsColors u-sea run of 12+ ones (10) run of 4+ repetitions other seam cells turning point outside the span
Rows: 1,101 rows, cycles 30..33,030, steps 9,432..9,988,875,874; not evenly spaced in time, cycles get longer · Window: majority class of the 32 cells · Colors: blue: 01001111 in any rotation, runs of 24+ cells; white: 6+ inside a seam; bright = at or left of this cycle's turning point, dark = right of it
Rules (6/6 validated)exact tape rewrites the proof will formalize, each re-checked by simulation
rulefrom ⟶ tocasesstepschecked
RS right sweep
111 A> (01001111)n
⟶ 111 (01110111)n A>
any left and right context (random words up to 12 cells), n = 0..4020n✓80/80
LS left sweep
(01110111)n 0 <B
⟶ 0 <B (01001111)n
any context. RS leaves the blocks in place as (0111)^2, which is 4-periodic, and LS reads them back 4 cells off, so a full pass moves the sea by -3 cells (= +5 mod 8); seams move +5 cells per cycle40n✓80/80
LT left turn
0∞ <B
⟶ 0∞ 111 A>
any right context; the left edge gains 3 cells per cycle5✓80/80
RO ones
A> 1n
⟶ 1n A>
A1 = 1RA; any contextn✓80/80
Q quiet epoch
0∞ <C (10100111)a 1 (110100)2 16 (10100111)d (010011111)2 (11010011)e (10100111)2 0100 110 (01001111)b 1 (10100)2 1c (10100111111)2 (10100111)f 0100 15 0∞
⟶ same with a+1, b-1, c+3
a, b, c, d, e, f >= 1 independent (random a <= 60, b <= 40, c <= 120, d <= 40, e <= 30, f <= 40); c and f are never read. Also 247/247 consecutive cycles from blank, 9.49e7..1.10e8 (d = 751, e = 23, f = 198), ending at b = 060(a+b+d+e)+595✓80/80
H halting pattern
11 0 <C
⟶ halt
the only halt: F1 is undefined, F is entered only by E1 (0LF), and E reads a 1 with a 1 to its left only after C0 (1LE). So the machine halts iff C reads 0 with 11 on its left3✓40/40
Compressed historythe tape as 0∞ <C (10100111)a 1 (110100)2 16 (10100111)751 (010011111)2 (11010011)23 (10100111)2 0100 110 (01001111)b 1 (10100)2 1c (10100111111)2 (10100111)198 0100 15 0∞ at 32 moments: where the rules are read off
0∞ <C (10100111)a 1 (110100)2 16 (10100111)751 (010011111)2 (11010011)23 (10100111)2 0100 110 (01001111)b 1 (10100)2 1c (10100111111)2 (10100111)198 0100 15 0∞
stepabc
94,875,59192472
95,374,7511723926
95,873,9112523150
96,373,0713322374
96,872,2314121598
97,371,39149207122
97,870,55157199146
98,369,71165191170
98,868,87173183194
99,368,03181175218
99,867,19189167242
100,366,35197159266
100,865,511105151290
101,364,671113143314
101,863,831121135338
102,362,991129127362
102,862,151137119386
103,361,311145111410
103,860,471153103434
104,359,63116195458
104,858,79116987482
105,357,95117779506
105,857,11118571530
106,356,27119363554
106,855,43120155578
107,354,59120947602
107,853,75121739626
108,352,91122531650
108,852,07123323674
109,351,23124115698
109,850,3912497722
110,287,1562560743
alast 256
25699.5e71.1e8step 94875591: a = 9step 95374751: a = 17step 95873911: a = 25step 96373071: a = 33step 96872231: a = 41step 97371391: a = 49step 97870551: a = 57step 98369711: a = 65step 98868871: a = 73step 99368031: a = 81step 99867191: a = 89step 100366351: a = 97step 100865511: a = 105step 101364671: a = 113step 101863831: a = 121step 102362991: a = 129step 102862151: a = 137step 103361311: a = 145step 103860471: a = 153step 104359631: a = 161step 104858791: a = 169step 105357951: a = 177step 105857111: a = 185step 106356271: a = 193step 106855431: a = 201step 107354591: a = 209step 107853751: a = 217step 108352911: a = 225step 108852071: a = 233step 109351231: a = 241step 109850391: a = 249step 110287156: a = 256
blast 0
24709.5e71.1e8step 94875591: b = 247step 95374751: b = 239step 95873911: b = 231step 96373071: b = 223step 96872231: b = 215step 97371391: b = 207step 97870551: b = 199step 98369711: b = 191step 98868871: b = 183step 99368031: b = 175step 99867191: b = 167step 100366351: b = 159step 100865511: b = 151step 101364671: b = 143step 101863831: b = 135step 102362991: b = 127step 102862151: b = 119step 103361311: b = 111step 103860471: b = 103step 104359631: b = 95step 104858791: b = 87step 105357951: b = 79step 105857111: b = 71step 106356271: b = 63step 106855431: b = 55step 107354591: b = 47step 107853751: b = 39step 108352911: b = 31step 108852071: b = 23step 109351231: b = 15step 109850391: b = 7step 110287156: b = 0
clast 743
74329.5e71.1e8step 94875591: c = 2step 95374751: c = 26step 95873911: c = 50step 96373071: c = 74step 96872231: c = 98step 97371391: c = 122step 97870551: c = 146step 98369711: c = 170step 98868871: c = 194step 99368031: c = 218step 99867191: c = 242step 100366351: c = 266step 100865511: c = 290step 101364671: c = 314step 101863831: c = 338step 102362991: c = 362step 102862151: c = 386step 103361311: c = 410step 103860471: c = 434step 104359631: c = 458step 104858791: c = 482step 105357951: c = 506step 105857111: c = 530step 106356271: c = 554step 106855431: c = 578step 107354591: c = 602step 107853751: c = 626step 108352911: c = 650step 108852071: c = 674step 109351231: c = 698step 109850391: c = 722step 110287156: c = 743
Template comparisonBouncer_v2.v TM1: does not apply · the nearest solved proof, what carries over, and the transitions that differ
01
A1RB1RA
B1LC0RE
C1LE0LD
D0LB1LB
E1RA0LF
F1LD---
file
Bouncer_v2.v:9
module
TM1
machine
1RB0LB_1RC0LC_1LD1RF_---1LE_0RC1LA_0RB1RA (11 transitions apart)
diff
—
note
No proved neighbour within 3 transitions (any start); Bouncer_v2 is the nearest proof by class. It proves S1 n -> S1 (1+n) with one es' call after 4,760,139 steps: the tape becomes a fixed word list with two blocks repeated 1+n times. Ours never settles into one S1: seams and fossil segments keep appearing (22 freezes to 2e9). Q is the analogue of BigStep only inside one epoch.
Proof strategy & riskshow the formal proof will go · 3 risks to watch

Collect the seam words and their collisions (seam meets wall, b = 0, freeze), then look for a tape language (u-runs separated by seams from a finite set) that one cycle maps into itself and that excludes 11 0 <C. Prove it CTL-style, with RS/LS/Q as the inside-epoch lemmas.

  • ▲The seam set may be infinite: distinct seam words between u-runs keep growing (170 at 1e6, 526 at 1e8, 800 at 1e9, 829 at 2e9; crude count).
  • ▲Freeze sizes look irregular (9, 20, 12, 41, ... 2483, 29, 2535); if they come from arithmetic on reservoir sizes, this is cryptid-like.
  • ▲61 and 704 share the table and the u-sea but run different orbits; one proof covers them only if it is a language-closure proof.
Stats & provenance2·109 steps simulated · 31,819 cells · the status in full · files
simulated
2·109 steps
tape
31,819 cells · 22,003 nonzeros
growth
left edge ~ t^0.5 (lo = -30659 at 1e9, -43525 at 1.9e9); right edge grows only in bursts (hi = 1159 at 1e9, 1219 at 1.9e9); no halt to 2e9
status now
Parked 2026-10-12 (Dennis: apply recommendations (2026-10-12)): Keep parked (STUCK). Funded seams stage (2026-10-10) ended by its stop rule: the seam alphabet is still growing at 1e10. A lossless phase-tracked token extractor (verified against tools/sim.py) gives 513/783/1,028 distinct seam words at 1e8/1e9/1e10. Abstracted counts also grow: 449/662/844 with runs abstracted, and 182/226/270 elementary pieces. Collision types are 416/635/842. Deposits turn into u-runs through long (10)-runs (up to (10)^8429), and the result depends on residues and local context. No closed language was built. Pointing the other way: re-drawing run lengths in real cycle starts gives 0/1,200 halts. C reads 0 only at the blank left edge (33,051 of 33,051 cycles, never inside), so non-halting is equivalent to one invariant: D never steps left onto 0 0 inside the tape. Not flagged as cryptid; the epoch-level length map is not modelled. Optional next step in decision.json. (status.json, 2026-10-12)
observer's note
Observe done at low confidence: quiet-epoch rule Q and the sweep rules are validated, but the epoch changes (seams meeting the wall, reservoir freezes) are not understood, so there is no non-halting argument yet.
files
observe.json · notes.md · status.json

Proof & checks

No proof work yet.

Files

machines/<tm>/: 9 entries · raw notes, status, scripts, images

namesizechanged
notes.md ↓14 KB2026-10-12 08:59
status.json ↓1.8 KB2026-10-12 08:59
observe.json ↓13 KB2026-10-11 08:33
deepen.json ↓3.3 KB2026-10-11 08:35
decision.json ↓2.5 KB2026-10-12 08:59
decisions/1 item2026-10-11 08:36
img/6 items2026-10-11 08:33
scripts/15 items2026-10-11 08:34
work/23 items2026-10-11 08:35
status.json in full
{
 "tm": "1RB1RA_1LC0RE_1LE0LD_0LB1LB_1RA0LF_1LD---",
 "label": "W4-8",
 "status": "STUCK",
 "stage": "seams",
 "confidence": "low",
 "updated": "2026-10-12",
 "reason": "Parked 2026-10-12 (Dennis: apply recommendations (2026-10-12)): Keep parked (STUCK). Funded seams stage (2026-10-10) ended by its stop rule: the seam alphabet is still growing at 1e10. A lossless phase-tracked token extractor (verified against tools/sim.py) gives 513/783/1,028 distinct seam words at 1e8/1e9/1e10. Abstracted counts also grow: 449/662/844 with runs abstracted, and 182/226/270 elementary pieces. Collision types are 416/635/842. Deposits turn into u-runs through long (10)-runs (up to (10)^8429), and the result depends on residues and local context. No closed language was built. Pointing the other way: re-drawing run lengths in real cycle starts gives 0/1,200 halts. C reads 0 only at the blank left edge (33,051 of 33,051 cycles, never inside), so non-halting is equivalent to one invariant: D never steps left onto 0 0 inside the tape. Not flagged as cryptid; the epoch-level length map is not modelled. Optional next step in decision.json.",
 "family_note": "Same table (canon, all 6 starts): 61 1RB0LF_1RC1RB_1LD0RA_1LA0LE_0LC1LC_1LE--- is this table started in E, and 704 1RB---_0RC1RC_1RD0LE_1RE0RB_1LF0RA_1LC1LF is it started in F (mirrored). Both build the same 01001111 sea and seams (no halt to 1e9) but run different orbits. Starts C and D are not on the lists; the start-B table is Eqv_v2 TM2046's tm, proved equivalent to 61 (an equivalence, not a decision).",
 "priority_call_answered": "Fund one stage to map the seam words and test a closed tape language, or park W4-8 as STUCK at observe?",
 "funded": {
  "option": "seams",
  "date": "2026-10-11"
 },
 "parked": "Parked 2026-10-12 (Dennis: apply recommendations (2026-10-12)): Keep parked (STUCK)."
}
observe.json contract (tools/README-card.md):
1 contract warning
  • rank: missing