Logo 15-word challenge (1997), Hacker News

“Write a Logo one-liner using 15 or fewer words, not counting square brackets and parentheses, to produce the most beautiful, complex, and interesting picture. “

The one-line codes work as written in MSWLogo and UCBLogo. MicroWorlds sometimes requires slightly different code, as noted below in the Winners’ section, and cannot run code using the command “px” (which reverses the color).

The Grand Prize (the Golden Turtle)

Five Rose or Starfish, by, Italy (and, Australia) – only 8 words !!

repeat 1800 [fd 10 rt repcount .1]
dotimes [i 1800] [fd 10 rt :i .1](MicroWorlds)

Please see the project detailsfor the project background, extra code, and more graphics.

The “Pure Logo” Prize

Dahlia, by, U.S. (14 words)

repeat 8 [rt 45 repeat 6 [repeat 90 [fd 2 rt 2] RT 90]]

The 6 can be replaced with 1 to 7 for other flowers.
For numbers greater than 7, the patterns repeat.
This will work without modification in absolutely all Logo implementations.

The “Complexity” Prize

Layers, by Alessio Plebe, Italy 15 words)

for [i 0 420] [seth :i repeat :i [fd 2 rt 1] pu home pd]
dotimes [i 420] [seth :i repeat :i [fd 2 rt 1] pu home pd](MicroWorlds)

This is slow, but it has very beautiful and complex moire patterns. If your screen is small, let it wrap. The moire effect isn’t as strong if you try to shrink it.

The “Classic Math” Prize

Lissajous variations, by Samuel Kilchenmann, Switzerland 15 words)

repeat 360 [setxy (sin(2 * repcount)) * 150 (sin(3 * repcount)) * 150]
repeat 360 [setxy (sin(89 * repcount)) * 150 (sin(179 * repcount)) *150]
repeat 360 [setxy (sin(254 * repcount)) * 150 (sin(201 * repcount)) *150]
repeat 360 [setxy (sin(327 * repcount)) * 150 (sin(66 * repcount)) *150]

dotimes [i 360] [setpos list (sin(254 * :i)) * 150 (sin(201 * :i)) *150](MicroWorlds)

Change the factors to get lots of different designs.

The “Random” Prize

Pencil Sketch, by Andrzej Baczynski (shortened byYehuda Katz), 15 words

repeat 5000 [run list item sum 1 random 4 [fd bk rt lt] random 10]

This looks remarkably like a person is sketching with a pencil. It looks even more like a pencil sketch if you use PENREVERSE (PX) mode.

The “Polygon” Prize

Penta-octagon, by M.H. Elhefni, Egypt 15 words)

for [l 10 80 5] [repeat 5 [repeat 8 [fd :l rt 45] RT 72]
dotimes [i 15] [repeat 5 [repeat 8 [fd (10 (:i * 5)) rt 45] RT 72](MicroWorlds)

Beautiful ” telescoping “polygons. Change the numbers to get more designs.
(See the “octa-octagon” below.)

The “Animation” Prize

Circus (Ring variation 2), byOlga Tuzova, Russia (14 words)

[The object above spins around and around. This screenshot shows one instant of the animation.]

px setpensize [100 100] repeat 1000 (RT) ]

This requires PENREVERSE (PX) and a big pen.
This cheerful entry reminds me of circus jugglers and clowns doing cartwheels.

other ring variations

The “Subtle Effects” Prize

Radar, byZippi Katz, Israel 11 words)

px repeat 1000000 [fd 40 fd 40 bk 80 rt 1]

This requires PENREVERSE (PX).
It looks like a weather radar. [It is in constant motion.]
The really interesting part is that the effect is entirely destroyed
if you replace “fd 40 fd 40 “by” fd 80 “.

The “Surprise” Prize

Square Spiral, byYehuda Katz, Israel (9 words)

px for [x 1 1000000] [fd 😡 rt 90]

This requires PENREVERSE (PX).

It seems simple, but it has a suprising effect, based on WRAP mode and PX mode. The effect will depend on your screen size. The effect is strikingly bold with a square screen and more complex with a non-square screen. In MSW Logo, you can set the screen size.

Example:c: \ logo \ logo -h 480 -w 640

Index of Other Contest Entries