I have a hard time understanding what they are trying to make the network learn. The rules? (i.e. how a cell behaves in the next round depending on its neighbo

I have a hard time understanding what they are trying to make the network learn. The rules? (i.e. how a cell behaves in the next round depending on its neighborhood) The evolution of a specific initial setup? (i.e. towards which of the known solutions the network will converge, given its state)