Computability and Decidability

Computability and Decidability PDF Author: J. Loeckx
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642806899
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
The present Lecture Notes evolved from a course given at the Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven and later at the Technische Hogeschool Twente. They are intended for computer science students; more specifically, their goal is to introduce the notions of computability and decidability, and to prepare for the study of automata theory, formal language theory and the theory of computing. Except for a general mathematical background no preliminary knowledge is presupposed, but some experience in programming may be helpful. While classical treatises on computability and decidability are oriented towards the foundation of mathematics or mathematical logic, the present notes try to relate the subject to computer science. Therefore, the expose is based on the use of strings rather than on that of natural numbers; the notations are similar to those in use in automata theory; in addition, according to a common usage in formal language theory, most of the proofs of computability are reduced to the semi-formal description of a procedure the constructivity of which is apparent to anybody having some programming experience. Notwithstanding these facts the subject is treated with mathematical rigor; a great number of informal comments are inserted in order to allow a good intuitive understanding. I am indebted to all those who drew my attention to some errors and ambiguities in a preliminary version of these Notes. I want also to thank Miss L.A. Krukerink for her diligence in typing the manuscript.

Computability and Decidability

Computability and Decidability PDF Author: J. Loeckx
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642806899
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 84

Get Book Here

Book Description
The present Lecture Notes evolved from a course given at the Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven and later at the Technische Hogeschool Twente. They are intended for computer science students; more specifically, their goal is to introduce the notions of computability and decidability, and to prepare for the study of automata theory, formal language theory and the theory of computing. Except for a general mathematical background no preliminary knowledge is presupposed, but some experience in programming may be helpful. While classical treatises on computability and decidability are oriented towards the foundation of mathematics or mathematical logic, the present notes try to relate the subject to computer science. Therefore, the expose is based on the use of strings rather than on that of natural numbers; the notations are similar to those in use in automata theory; in addition, according to a common usage in formal language theory, most of the proofs of computability are reduced to the semi-formal description of a procedure the constructivity of which is apparent to anybody having some programming experience. Notwithstanding these facts the subject is treated with mathematical rigor; a great number of informal comments are inserted in order to allow a good intuitive understanding. I am indebted to all those who drew my attention to some errors and ambiguities in a preliminary version of these Notes. I want also to thank Miss L.A. Krukerink for her diligence in typing the manuscript.

Enumerability · Decidability Computability

Enumerability · Decidability Computability PDF Author: Hans Hermes
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642461786
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Once we have accepted a precise replacement of the concept of algo rithm, it becomes possible to attempt the problem whether there exist well-defined collections of problems which cannot be handled by algo rithms, and if that is the case, to give concrete cases of this kind. Many such investigations were carried out during the last few decades. The undecidability of arithmetic and other mathematical theories was shown, further the unsolvability of the word problem of group theory. Many mathematicians consider these results and the theory on which they are based to be the most characteristic achievements of mathe matics in the first half of the twentieth century. If we grant the legitimacy of the suggested precise replacements of the concept of algorithm and related concepts, then we can say that the mathematicians have shown by strictly mathematical methods that there exist mathematical problems which cannot be dealt with by the methods of calculating mathematics. In view of the important role which mathematics plays today in our conception of the world this fact is of great philosophical interest. Post speaks of a natural law about the "limitations of the mathematicizing power of Homo Sapiens". Here we also find a starting point for the discussion of the question, what the actual creative activity of the mathematician consists in. In this book we shall give an introduction to the theory of algorithms.

Automata and Computability

Automata and Computability PDF Author: Dexter C. Kozen
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 364285706X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 399

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Book Description
These are my lecture notes from CS381/481: Automata and Computability Theory, a one-semester senior-level course I have taught at Cornell Uni versity for many years. I took this course myself in thc fall of 1974 as a first-year Ph.D. student at Cornell from Juris Hartmanis and have been in love with the subject ever sin,:e. The course is required for computer science majors at Cornell. It exists in two forms: CS481, an honors version; and CS381, a somewhat gentler paced version. The syllabus is roughly the same, but CS481 go es deeper into thc subject, covers more material, and is taught at a more abstract level. Students are encouraged to start off in one or the other, then switch within the first few weeks if they find the other version more suitaLle to their level of mathematical skill. The purpose of t.hc course is twofold: to introduce computer science students to the rieh heritage of models and abstractions that have arisen over the years; and to dew!c'p the capacity to form abstractions of their own and reason in terms of them.

Computability, Complexity, and Languages

Computability, Complexity, and Languages PDF Author: Martin Davis
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0122063821
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 631

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Book Description
This introductory text covers the key areas of computer science, including recursive function theory, formal languages, and automata. Additions to the second edition include: extended exercise sets, which vary in difficulty; expanded section on recursion theory; new chapters on program verification and logic programming; updated references and examples throughout.

Decidability of Logical Theories and Their Combination

Decidability of Logical Theories and Their Combination PDF Author: João Rasga
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030565548
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 185

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Book Description
This textbook provides a self-contained introduction to decidability of first-order theories and their combination. The technical material is presented in a systematic and universal way and illustrated with plenty of examples and a range of proposed exercises. After an overview of basic first-order logic concepts, the authors discuss some model-theoretic notions like embeddings, diagrams, and elementary substructures. The text then goes on to explore an applicable way to deduce logical consequences from a given theory and presents sufficient conditions for a theory to be decidable. The chapters that follow focus on quantifier elimination, decidability of the combination of first-order theories and the basics of computability theory. The inclusion of a chapter on Gentzen calculus, cut elimination, and Craig interpolation, as well as a chapter on combination of theories and preservation of decidability, help to set this volume apart from similar books in the field. Decidability of Logical Theories and their Combination is ideal for graduate students of Mathematics and is equally suitable for Computer Science, Philosophy and Physics students who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the subject. The book is also directed to researchers that intend to get acquainted with first-order theories and their combination.

Mathematics in Computing

Mathematics in Computing PDF Author: Gerard O’Regan
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030342093
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
This illuminating textbook provides a concise review of the core concepts in mathematics essential to computer scientists. Emphasis is placed on the practical computing applications enabled by seemingly abstract mathematical ideas, presented within their historical context. The text spans a broad selection of key topics, ranging from the use of finite field theory to correct code and the role of number theory in cryptography, to the value of graph theory when modelling networks and the importance of formal methods for safety critical systems. This fully updated new edition has been expanded with a more comprehensive treatment of algorithms, logic, automata theory, model checking, software reliability and dependability, algebra, sequences and series, and mathematical induction. Topics and features: includes numerous pedagogical features, such as chapter-opening key topics, chapter introductions and summaries, review questions, and a glossary; describes the historical contributions of such prominent figures as Leibniz, Babbage, Boole, and von Neumann; introduces the fundamental mathematical concepts of sets, relations and functions, along with the basics of number theory, algebra, algorithms, and matrices; explores arithmetic and geometric sequences and series, mathematical induction and recursion, graph theory, computability and decidability, and automata theory; reviews the core issues of coding theory, language theory, software engineering, and software reliability, as well as formal methods and model checking; covers key topics on logic, from ancient Greek contributions to modern applications in AI, and discusses the nature of mathematical proof and theorem proving; presents a short introduction to probability and statistics, complex numbers and quaternions, and calculus. This engaging and easy-to-understand book will appeal to students of computer science wishing for an overview of the mathematics used in computing, and to mathematicians curious about how their subject is applied in the field of computer science. The book will also capture the interest of the motivated general reader.

Computability Theory

Computability Theory PDF Author: Neil D. Jones
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 1483218481
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
Computability Theory: An Introduction provides information pertinent to the major concepts, constructions, and theorems of the elementary theory of computability of recursive functions. This book provides mathematical evidence for the validity of the Church–Turing thesis. Organized into six chapters, this book begins with an overview of the concept of effective process so that a clear understanding of the effective computability of partial and total functions is obtained. This text then introduces a formal development of the equivalence of Turing machine computability, enumerability, and decidability with other formulations. Other chapters consider the formulas of the predicate calculus, systems of recursion equations, and Post's production systems. This book discusses as well the fundamental properties of the partial recursive functions and the recursively enumerable sets. The final chapter deals with different formulations of the basic ideas of computability that are equivalent to Turing-computability. This book is a valuable resource for undergraduate or graduate students.

Proofs and Algorithms

Proofs and Algorithms PDF Author: Gilles Dowek
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0857291211
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Logic is a branch of philosophy, mathematics and computer science. It studies the required methods to determine whether a statement is true, such as reasoning and computation. Proofs and Algorithms: Introduction to Logic and Computability is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of contemporary logic - those of a proof, a computable function, a model and a set. It presents a series of results, both positive and negative, - Church's undecidability theorem, Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, the theorem asserting the semi-decidability of provability - that have profoundly changed our vision of reasoning, computation, and finally truth itself. Designed for undergraduate students, this book presents all that philosophers, mathematicians and computer scientists should know about logic.

Computability and Logic

Computability and Logic PDF Author: George S. Boolos
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521877520
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
This fifth edition of 'Computability and Logic' covers not just the staple topics of an intermediate logic course such as Godel's incompleteness theorems, but also optional topics that include Turing's theory of computability and Ramsey's theorem.

What Can Be Computed?

What Can Be Computed? PDF Author: John MacCormick
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691170665
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
An accessible and rigorous textbook for introducing undergraduates to computer science theory What Can Be Computed? is a uniquely accessible yet rigorous introduction to the most profound ideas at the heart of computer science. Crafted specifically for undergraduates who are studying the subject for the first time, and requiring minimal prerequisites, the book focuses on the essential fundamentals of computer science theory and features a practical approach that uses real computer programs (Python and Java) and encourages active experimentation. It is also ideal for self-study and reference. The book covers the standard topics in the theory of computation, including Turing machines and finite automata, universal computation, nondeterminism, Turing and Karp reductions, undecidability, time-complexity classes such as P and NP, and NP-completeness, including the Cook-Levin Theorem. But the book also provides a broader view of computer science and its historical development, with discussions of Turing's original 1936 computing machines, the connections between undecidability and Gödel's incompleteness theorem, and Karp's famous set of twenty-one NP-complete problems. Throughout, the book recasts traditional computer science concepts by considering how computer programs are used to solve real problems. Standard theorems are stated and proven with full mathematical rigor, but motivation and understanding are enhanced by considering concrete implementations. The book's examples and other content allow readers to view demonstrations of—and to experiment with—a wide selection of the topics it covers. The result is an ideal text for an introduction to the theory of computation. An accessible and rigorous introduction to the essential fundamentals of computer science theory, written specifically for undergraduates taking introduction to the theory of computation Features a practical, interactive approach using real computer programs (Python in the text, with forthcoming Java alternatives online) to enhance motivation and understanding Gives equal emphasis to computability and complexity Includes special topics that demonstrate the profound nature of key ideas in the theory of computation Lecture slides and Python programs are available at whatcanbecomputed.com