2022-04-23 13:26:53 +01:00
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---
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tags:
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2022-09-06 15:44:40 +01:00
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- theory-of-computation
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2022-04-23 13:26:53 +01:00
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---
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## What is a Turing Machine?
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2024-02-02 15:58:13 +00:00
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A Turing Machine consists of an infinitely long tape, that has been divided up
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into cells. Each cell can contain either a 1, a 0 or an empty space. Above one
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cell of the tape is a head, which can either move left or right, and can read
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the symbols written in the cells. The head is also capable of erasing symbols
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and writing new symbols into the cells.
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2024-02-17 11:57:44 +00:00
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 The direction that the
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head moves, which values it erases, and which values it writes in, are dependent
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on a set of instructions provided to the machine.0
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2022-04-23 13:26:53 +01:00
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2024-02-02 15:58:13 +00:00
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Different sets of instructions can be divided into **states.** States are like
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sub-routines and can themselves feature as part of instructions.
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For example:
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### State 2
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- If 0 then erase
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- Write 1 then move right
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- Go to state 5
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### State 5
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2022-09-06 15:44:40 +01:00
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- If 1, then erase
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- Write 0 then move left
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- Go to state _n_
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2024-02-02 15:58:13 +00:00
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Alan Turing proved that **any problem that is computable** can be computed by a
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Turing Machine using this simple system.
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