A Single Ball on a Billiard Table Can Theoretically Perform Any… | HappeningNow.news

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A Single Ball on a Billiard Table Can Theoretically Perform Any Computation

Send a ball across the table, and its path follows a simple rule: It travels in a straight line until it hits a wall, then bounces away at the same angle it came in.

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A ball sent across a billiard table travels in a straight line until it strikes a wall, then rebounds at the same angle it arrived. This simple motion obeys a deterministic rule of reflection. Researchers note that, despite its minimalism, such a system can theoretically emulate any computation achievable by a conventional computer. The claim highlights the computational universality of the ball‑and‑wall dynamics, showing that even elementary physical processes can represent complex algorithms.

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