The Algorithmic Heart of Wigout

This is the heart of Wigout:

At each iteration, every element changes its amplitude and duration by a fixed increment. Both amplitude and duration grow (by their respective increments) until they reach their separate maxima, then start shrinking (by the same increment) until they reach their minima, then start growing again.

By way of example, let's suppose there are two variables A and D. The limits of A are 1 and 5, and its increment is 1. The limits of D are 2 and 8, and its increment is 2. Here's what happens when they start iterating together:

             A     D
             1     2
             2     4
             3     6
             4     8
             5     6
             4     4
             3     2
             2     4
             1     6
             2     8
             3     6
             4     4
             5     2
             4     4
             3     6
             2     8
             1     6
             2     4
             3     2
             4     4
             5     6
             4     8
             3     6
             2     4
             (etc.)

In this simple example, each variable has a small range, and a proportionally large increment. So they begin their sequences again after 24 steps.

In Wigout,

• The ranges are much larger ($\pm 32767$ for the amplitudes, and between 1000 and 0 for the durations).
• The increments can be proportionally much smaller.
• There can be up to 64 segments in each state. That means, there can be up to 128 variables (and more, under certain circumstances).

So, the number of steps for all the variables to begin their sequences again can be enormous. In practical terms, a sound can last for hours before repeating.