glider.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

def get_x_y(i,j, size):
    """
    Returns the x,y coordinates in the "big" grid
    """
    return (i/size, j/size)

def corner(i,j,size):
    """
    Returns whether a (i,j) coordinate is a corner of a inner box
    It does this by taking the i,j cooardinates and permutes them with +1 and -1 values for each
    Then tests if any of those permutations fall on the "border", (the modulo)
    """
    return True if filter((lambda x: (x[0]%size)+(x[1]%size) ==0), [(i+a,j+b) for a in [-1,1] for b in [-1,1]]) else False

def get_symbol(i,j,boxes, size, spots):
    """
    Returns the proper symbol that should be displayed at coordinates (i,j) considering  (boxes*boxes) matrix, such that every inner square is of size 'size'*'size'
    and filling in the coordinates specified by the set of tuples, spots (those are given in x,y coordinates
    """
    if j % size == 0 or i%size ==0:
        return '+'
    else:
        return '@' if get_x_y(i,j,size) in spots and not corner(i,j,size)else ' '


def glider(boxes, size, spots):
    size = size + 1
    for i in range(size*boxes+1):
        for j in range(size * boxes+1):
            print get_symbol(i,j,boxes,size,spots),
        print


def microglider(b,s,sp):
    s = s+1
    r = range(s*b+1)
    o = map(lambda x: (lambda i,j,b,sp: '+' if j%s == 0 or i%s==0 else '@' if (i/s, j/s) in sp and not (True if filter((lambda x: (x[0]%s)+(x[1]%s) ==0), [(i+n,j+m) for m in [-1,1] for n in [-1,1]]) else False) else ' ')(x[0],x[1],b,sp), [(i,j) for i in r for j in r])
    for i,_ in enumerate(o): 
        if i%((b*s)+1) == 0: 
            print 
        print _,

if __name__ == "__main__":
    positions = {(0,1), (2,0), (2,1), (2,2)}
    glider(3, 5, positions)
    print
    print "Compared to:"
    print
    microglider(3, 5, positions)