Three species in cyclic competition produce rotating spirals — biodiversity through intransitivity
Spatial Grid
Population Fractions
R: 33.3% | P: 33.3% | S: 33.3%
R (red) beats S (blue), S beats P (green), P beats R — cyclic dominance.
Each step: pick random cell, pick random neighbor; if neighbor dominates, replace cell.
Spiral waves emerge spontaneously and maintain all three species indefinitely.
Unlike two-species competition, all three coexist — intransitivity enables biodiversity.