Decidability Through Turing Machines

Jibran Abbasi

The College of New Jersey

September 2, 2024

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Outline

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 Main Statement

4 Examples & Conclusion

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 Introduction

Introduction

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 Introduction

Late 19th and Early 20th Century Mathematics

Non-Euclidean Geometry
Lobachevsky & Gauss

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 Introduction

Late 19th and Early 20th Century Mathematics

Non-Euclidean Geometry
Lobachevsky & Gauss
Real Analysis
Weierstrass

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 Introduction

Late 19th and Early 20th Century Mathematics

Non-Euclidean Geometry
Lobachevsky & Gauss
Real Analysis
Weierstrass
Set Theory
Georg Cantor

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 Introduction

Intuitonists vs Formalists

Intuitionists: Math is a creation of the human mind

Formalists: Math can be put on clear, logical foundations using Set Theory

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 Introduction

Intuitonists vs Formalists

Intuitionists: Math is a creation of the human mind

Formalists: Math can be put on clear, logical foundations using Set Theory
Hilbert’s dream

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 Introduction

Intuitonists vs Formalists

Intuitionists: Math is a creation of the human mind

Formalists: Math can be put on clear, logical foundations using Set Theory
Hilbert’s dream
Complete: Is there a proof for every true statement?

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 Introduction

Intuitonists vs Formalists

Intuitionists: Math is a creation of the human mind

Formalists: Math can be put on clear, logical foundations using Set Theory
Hilbert’s dream
Complete: Is there a proof for every true statement?
Consistent: Is math free of contractions?

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 Introduction

Intuitonists vs Formalists

Intuitionists: Math is a creation of the human mind

Formalists: Math can be put on clear, logical foundations using Set Theory
Hilbert’s dream
Complete: Is there a proof for every true statement?
Consistent: Is math free of contractions?
Decidable: Is there an algorithm to determine whether a statement always
follows from the axioms?

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 Introduction

Decidability and Completeness

We will prove one of these to be false

Decidable

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 Introduction

Decidability and Completeness

We will prove one of these to be false

Decidable
The Halting Problem

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 Background

Background

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 Background

Computational Machines

Machine types
Finite automata
Turing Machine (TM)

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 Background

Computational Machines

Machine types
Finite automata
Turing Machine (TM)

Theorem
The Halting Problem: It is impossible to determine in advance whether any
Turing Machine will halt (by accepting on rejecting) some given input.

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 Background

Finite Automata Example

Figure: The above image is a simple finite automaton

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 Background

Finite Automata Example

Figure: The above image is a simple finite automaton

Consider the string 0101

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 Background

Turing Machine

Definition
A Turing Machine is a 7-tuple, (Q, Σ, Γ, δ, qo , qa , qr ) where Q, Σ, Γ are all finite
sets and
1 Q is the set of states,
2 Σ is the input alphabet not containing the blank symbol U
3 Γ is the tape alphabet, where U ∈ Γ and Σ ⊂ Γ
4 Σ: Q × Γ → Q × Γ × {L, R} is the transition function,
5 qo ∈ Q is the start state,
6 qa ∈ Q is the accept state, and
7 qr ∈ Q is the reject state where qr ̸=qa .

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 Background

Turing Machine Example

Figure: The above image is a Turing Machine running a tape of length four

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 Background

Turing Machine Example

Figure: The above image is a Turing Machine running a tape of length four

Consider the string abab

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 Main Statement

Main Statement

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

H is the decision problem as is defined as
{⟨p, x⟩| program p halts on input x}

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

H is the decision problem as is defined as
{⟨p, x⟩| program p halts on input x}
Consider a second TM B with the following properties

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

H is the decision problem as is defined as
{⟨p, x⟩| program p halts on input x}
Consider a second TM B with the following properties
It takes in an input ⟨p⟩

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

H is the decision problem as is defined as
{⟨p, x⟩| program p halts on input x}
Consider a second TM B with the following properties
It takes in an input ⟨p⟩
Runs A on input ⟨p, ⟨p⟩⟩

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

H is the decision problem as is defined as
{⟨p, x⟩| program p halts on input x}
Consider a second TM B with the following properties
It takes in an input ⟨p⟩
Runs A on input ⟨p, ⟨p⟩⟩
Halts if and only if A rejects the input

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Assumption: Let there exist a TM A that is decidable on H

H is the decision problem as is defined as
{⟨p, x⟩| program p halts on input x}
Consider a second TM B with the following properties
It takes in an input ⟨p⟩
Runs A on input ⟨p, ⟨p⟩⟩
Halts if and only if A rejects the input
Meaning, B runs input p and decides the halting problem on it

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Consider the case in which B receives ⟨B⟩ as an input

It will run A on the input ⟨B, ⟨B⟩⟩ resulting in two cases

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Consider the case in which B receives ⟨B⟩ as an input

It will run A on the input ⟨B, ⟨B⟩⟩ resulting in two cases
1 A is accepted. This means B halts on the input ⟨B⟩. However, by the way B
is defined if A accepts the input the TM will not halt, so B does not halt on
⟨B⟩. If this occurs observe that we will enter an infinite loop and our TM will
not halt.

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Consider the case in which B receives ⟨B⟩ as an input

It will run A on the input ⟨B, ⟨B⟩⟩ resulting in two cases
1 A is accepted. This means B halts on the input ⟨B⟩. However, by the way B
is defined if A accepts the input the TM will not halt, so B does not halt on
⟨B⟩. If this occurs observe that we will enter an infinite loop and our TM will
not halt.
2 A is rejected. This means B does not halt on input ⟨B⟩. However, by the way
B is defined if A is rejected the TM terminates, so B halts on ⟨B⟩. If this
occurs observe that our TM must halt.

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 Main Statement

Halting Problem Proof

Consider the case in which B receives ⟨B⟩ as an input

It will run A on the input ⟨B, ⟨B⟩⟩ resulting in two cases
1 A is accepted. This means B halts on the input ⟨B⟩. However, by the way B
is defined if A accepts the input the TM will not halt, so B does not halt on
⟨B⟩. If this occurs observe that we will enter an infinite loop and our TM will
not halt.
2 A is rejected. This means B does not halt on input ⟨B⟩. However, by the way
B is defined if A is rejected the TM terminates, so B halts on ⟨B⟩. If this
occurs observe that our TM must halt.
In both cases we have a contradiction

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 Examples & Conclusion

Examples & Conclusion

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 Examples & Conclusion

Real World Consequnces

Must consider possibility of non-existence of solution

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 Examples & Conclusion

Real World Consequnces

Must consider possibility of non-existence of solution

Want a compiler to find the code that has the lowest possible runtime for
some arbitrary program

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 Examples & Conclusion

Real World Consequnces

Must consider possibility of non-existence of solution

Want a compiler to find the code that has the lowest possible runtime for
some arbitrary program
Anti-virus program
Create a program to check that anti-virus never executes a malicious
instruction

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 Examples & Conclusion

Thank You!

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