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So, I'm currently working with cellular automata but I started to wandered, what's the perfect amount of neighbours each cell should have if I'm working in a bi-dimensional space? Up to now I was working with 8 neighbours for each cell (like a grid with square cells), but maybe I should have circular cells with 6 neighbours each (kissing number for a bi-dimensional space). Of course, the first approach is easier to do, but seems a bit arbitrary.

What do you guys think about this? Any input would be great

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    There's no number of neighbours that a cell *should* have. There are interesting cellular automata with eight neighbors (e.g. [Conway's Life](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway's_Game_of_Life)) and with six (e.g. [Hex Life](http://www.antimodal.com/flash/hexlife/)).2012-01-20

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Your question is more aesthetic than mathematical -- it's your cellular automaton, you can design it how you like! (Especially if you don't have a particular goal in mind, but you don't say what that might be.)

The only thing I can suggest is that your neighbourhood encompass at least two other cells. Encompassing only one other cell is certainly possible, but it results in a one-way CA for which a two-dimensional playfield would be overkill.