Turing machine (nonfiction): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 07:35, 3 June 2016
A Turing machine is a hypothetical device that manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules.
Description
Despite its simplicity, a Turing machine can be adapted to simulate the logic (nonfiction) of any computer algorithm.
At a very high level, the machine consists of a memory tape divided into cells.
A "head" (e.g. a pencil/eraser) traverses the memory one cell at a time, writing or erasing data (e.g. numerical digits) based on user-specified rules.
The "machine" was invented in 1936 by Alan Turing (nonfiction) who called it an "a-machine" (automatic machine).
The Turing machine is not intended as practical computing technology, but rather as a hypothetical device representing a computing machine.
Turing machines help computer scientists understand the limits of mechanical computation.
Turing completeness (nonfiction) is the ability for a system of instructions to simulate a Turing machine.
Programming languages
A programming language that is Turing complete (nonfiction) is theoretically capable of expressing all tasks accomplishable by computers.
Nearly all non-markup programming languages are Turing complete.
Nonfiction cross-reference
- Alan Turing (nonfiction)
- Alonzo Church (nonfiction)
- Computer science (nonfiction)
- Mathematics (nonfiction)
- Turing completeness (nonfiction)
Fiction cross-reference
External links
- Turing machine @ wiki.karljones.com
- Turing machine @ Wikipedia