In Programming Project 4.1, you implemented the Sparse Life Grid ADT that creates a game grid of unlimited size for use with the game of Life. That implementation used a single Python list to store the individual live cells, which was similar to the technique we used with the Sparse Matrix ADT. Explain why the array of linked lists structure used to implement the Sparse Matrix ADT in this chapter cannot be used to implement the Sparse Life Grid ADT.

Programming Project 4.1:

The game of Life is defined for an infinite-sized grid. In Chapter 2, we defined the Life Grid ADT to use a fixed-size grid in which the user specified the width and height of the grid. This was sufficient as an illustration of the use of a 2-D array for the implementation of the game of Life. But a full implementation should allow for an infinite-sized grid. Implement the Sparse Life Grid ADT using an approach similar to the one used to implement the sparse matrix.

* SparseLifeGrid(): Creates a new infinite-sized game grid. All cells in the grid are initially set to dead.

* minRange(): Returns a 2-tuple (minrow, mincol) that contains the minimum row index and the minimum column index that is currently occupied by a live cell.

* maxRange(): Returns a 2-tuple (maxrow, maxcol) that contains the maximum row index and the maximum column index that is currently occupied by a live cell.

* configure( coordList ): Configures the grid for evolving the first generation. The coordList argument is a sequence of 2-tuples with each tuple representing the coordinates (r, c) of the cells to be set as alive. All remaining cells are cleared or set to dead.

* clearCell( row, col ): Clears the individual cell (row, col) and sets it to dead. The cell indices must be within the valid range of the grid.

* setCell( row, col ): Sets the indicated cell (row, col) to be alive. The cell indices must be within the valid range of the grid.

* isLiveCell( row,col ): Returns a boolean value indicating if the given cell (row, col) contains a live organism. The cell indices must be within the valid range of the grid.

* numLiveNeighbors( row, col ): Returns the number of live neighbors for the given cell (row, col). The neighbors of a cell include all of the cells immediately surrounding it in all directions. For the cells along the border of the grid, the neighbors that fall outside the grid are assumed to be dead. The cell indices must be within the valid range of the grid.