A simple C++ console-based implementation of Conway's Game of Life combined with Breadth-First Search (BFS) pathfinding. 📌 Overview
This project simulates Conway's Game of Life for three iterations, starting from either:
A random initial seed, or
A custom number of alive cells specified by the user.
After the simulation, the program asks for two coordinates representing the start and destination cells. It then uses the BFS algorithm to find the shortest path only through dead cells (#).
🎯 Features
Game of Life Simulation
Runs for 3 frames.
Supports random generation or user-defined alive cell count.
Shortest Path Finder
BFS algorithm implementation.
Works only on dead cells.
Input Validation
Prevents invalid coordinates or impossible alive cell counts.
Clean CLI Display
Board refresh between frames for a smooth view.
🖥 Example Output
🔧 How to Run
1.Compile the program:
g++ GameOfLifeProject.cpp -o game
2.Run:
./game
📚 Algorithms Used
Conway's Game of Life rules:
A cell with exactly 2 or 3 alive neighbors stays alive.
Otherwise, it becomes or remains dead.
Breadth-First Search (BFS):
Finds the shortest path between two points in a grid.
🚀 Future Improvements
Add support for wrap-around grid (toroidal map).
Show step-by-step path visualization.
Adjustable simulation speed.
📝 License
This project is open-source and available under the MIT License