the.com/automata
machines that follow rules so faithfully they start looking like they have opinions.
means an automaton is a self-operating system that moves through defined states according to fixed rules, no thinking required.
from from greek automatos, acting of one's own will, first applied to mechanical figures and clockwork puppets built to move without a visible hand behind them.
turing's tapea turing machine is an automaton with infinite memory
regex engineevery regex you write compiles into a finite automaton
cellular automatasimple grid rules can simulate entire universes
traffic lightscount as automata, just very boring ones
for instance
conway's game of life — 1970 cellular automaton, four rules, infinite complexity
the writer automaton — 1770s jaquet-droz doll that literally writes sentences with a pen
turing machine — 1936 thought experiment defining what computation even means
traffic light controller — finite state machine cycling red amber green in every city