[Schiphol]

>we can't analytically calculate the outcome. To find out what happens we have to simulate it.

I've read Wolfram claim this, but as a conjecture, iirc. Is there a formal proof that in order to predict life patterns we essentially need to run the cellular automaton?

[shenberg]

Yes: the processor is turing-complete, if you could predict the patterns then you've solved the halting problem.

[dspillett]

It that not simply an instance of the halting problem[†] for which Turing provided a proof that no general solution is possible?

[†] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halting_problem