Halting problem (nonfiction): Difference between revisions

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File:Forbidden_Ratio_symbol.jpg|link=Forbidden Ratio|Supervillains [[Forbidden Ratio]] and [[Gnotilus]] form [[Crime team (nonfiction)|crime team]] to destroy the [[Golden ratio (nonfiction)|Golden ratio]].
File:Forbidden_Ratio_symbol.jpg|link=Forbidden Ratio|Supervillains [[Forbidden Ratio]] and [[Gnotilus]] form [[Crime team (nonfiction)|crime team]] to destroy the [[Golden ratio (nonfiction)|Golden ratio]].
File:Mathematical function.svg|link=Mathematical function (nonfiction)|Law-abiding [[Mathematical function (nonfiction)|mathematical functions]] have nothing to fear from [[Crimes against mathematical constants]], say crime authorities.
File:Mathematical function.svg|link=Mathematical function (nonfiction)|Law-abiding [[Mathematical function (nonfiction)|mathematical functions]] have nothing to fear from [[Crimes against mathematical constants]], say crime authorities.
File:Halting problem.svg|link=Halting problem (nonfiction)|Unregistered [[Halting problem (nonfiction)|Halting problems]] used in [[Crimes against mathematical constants]], says [[Asclepius Myrmidon]].
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Revision as of 09:38, 21 June 2016

Halting problem diagram.

In computability theory, the halting problem is the problem of determining, from a description of an arbitrary computer program and an input, whether the program will finish running or continue to run forever. See Computation (nonfiction).

Alan Turing proved in 1936 that a general algorithm to solve the halting problem for all possible program-input pairs cannot exist.

A key part of the proof was a mathematical definition of a computer and program, which became known as a Turing machine; the halting problem is undecidable over Turing machines.

It is one of the first examples of a decision problem.

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