Scribd
Upload
2 views

Module_0_1

The document introduces the concept of languages in the context of computation, defining various sets of strings over a binary alphabet and emphasizing the importance of membership testing. It discusses decision problems, which have yes/no answers, and illustrates that there are more decision problems than algorithms, leading to the conclusion that not every problem is solvable or decidable. The document sets the stage for exploring undecidable decision problems in further detail.

Uploaded by

Eesha Kanwar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2 views

Module_0_1

The document introduces the concept of languages in the context of computation, defining various sets of strings over a binary alphabet and emphasizing the importance of membership testing. It discusses decision problems, which have yes/no answers, and illustrates that there are more decision problems than algorithms, leading to the conclusion that not every problem is solvable or decidable. The document sets the stage for exploring undecidable decision problems in further detail.

Uploaded by

Eesha Kanwar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Module 0: Introduction

Text reading:
A language is a set of strings over alphabet which satisfy some property.

For example:
Consider alphabet Σ = {0,1}.
1. Set of strings over this alphabet of odd length:
L1 = {0, 1, 000, 001, 011, 100, …}
2. Set of strings with equal number of 0 and 1:
L2 = {01, 10, 0011, 0101, 1010, 1100, …}
3. Set of strings that are binary representation of a prime number:
L3 = {10, 11, 101, 111, 1011, 1101, 10001, …}
4. Set of all strings over this alphabet:
L4 = {e, 0, 1, 00, 01, 10, 11, 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, …}
also written as Σ∗ .
Important task – membership testing: given a string s over alphabet Σ, and a
language 𝐿, is it true that 𝑠 ∈ L?
How is it related to the theory of computation?
Recall from CP312:

We restrict ourselves to decision problems only – those problems that have yes/no
answer. For example:
- given a binary string, does it have odd length?
- given a binary string, does it contain the same amount of 0 and 1?
- given a number in binary representation, is it prime?

Yes-instance is an input to the problem that have answer yes.


Yes-instances of problems above are exactly string which belong to corresponding
languages. You can treat the input to the problem as a string that encodes this
input and if we have membership test for the language, we also have decision
algorithm for the decision problem.

Remark. We will later show that considering only decision problems is not very
restrictive.
Short proof that there are undecidable decision problems…
This is simple counting argument.

Consider the set of all decision problems (languages over fixed alphabet). Is it
countable?

We are talking the cardinality of a set of infinite sets over alphabet… which is the
same as the cardinality of the set of real numbers …

NO!

Consider the set of all decision algorithms (finite strings representing it – eq. Java
program). Is it countable?

YES! (Sort the algorithms descriptions as the strings, as every algorithm is JUST
FINITELY LONG STRING OF CHARACTERS). Count them …

So, there are MUCH MORE problems than the algorithms …


BINGO! We MUST have decision problems that do not have decision algorithms!!!!

NOT EVERY PROBLEM IS SOLVABLE!!!


NOT EVERY LANGUAGE IS DECIDABLE!!!

You might also like