Advent of Code

Neil Smith (AoC++) 42*

          2017

--- Day 21: Fractal Art ---

You find a program trying to generate some art. It uses a strange process that involves repeatedly enhancing the detail of an image through a set of rules.

The image consists of a two-dimensional square grid of pixels that are either on (#) or off (.). The program always begins with this pattern:

.#.
..#
###

Because the pattern is both 3 pixels wide and 3 pixels tall, it is said to have a size of 3.

Then, the program repeats the following process:

Because each square of pixels is replaced by a larger one, the image gains pixels and so its size increases.

The artist's book of enhancement rules is nearby (your puzzle input); however, it seems to be missing rules. The artist explains that sometimes, one must rotate or flip the input pattern to find a match. (Never rotate or flip the output pattern, though.) Each pattern is written concisely: rows are listed as single units, ordered top-down, and separated by slashes. For example, the following rules correspond to the adjacent patterns:

../.#  =  ..
          .#

                .#.
.#./..#/###  =  ..#
                ###

                        #..#
#..#/..../#..#/.##.  =  ....
                        #..#
                        .##.

When searching for a rule to use, rotate and flip the pattern as necessary. For example, all of the following patterns match the same rule:

.#.   .#.   #..   ###
..#   #..   #.#   ..#
###   ###   ##.   .#.

Suppose the book contained the following two rules:

../.# => ##./#../...
.#./..#/### => #..#/..../..../#..#

As before, the program begins with this pattern:

.#.
..#
###

The size of the grid (3) is not divisible by 2, but it is divisible by 3. It divides evenly into a single square; the square matches the second rule, which produces:

#..#
....
....
#..#

The size of this enhanced grid (4) is evenly divisible by 2, so that rule is used. It divides evenly into four squares:

#.|.#
..|..
--+--
..|..
#.|.#

Each of these squares matches the same rule (../.# => ##./#../...), three of which require some flipping and rotation to line up with the rule. The output for the rule is the same in all four cases:

##.|##.
#..|#..
...|...
---+---
##.|##.
#..|#..
...|...

Finally, the squares are joined into a new grid:

##.##.
#..#..
......
##.##.
#..#..
......

Thus, after 2 iterations, the grid contains 12 pixels that are on.

How many pixels stay on after 5 iterations?

Your puzzle answer was 158.

--- Part Two ---

How many pixels stay on after 18 iterations?

Your puzzle answer was 2301762.

Both parts of this puzzle are complete! They provide two gold stars: **

At this point, you should return to your advent calendar and try another puzzle.

If you still want to see it, you can get your puzzle input.

You can also this puzzle.