COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS

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LEARNING OBJECTIVE
• To Design Turing machines for any Languages (K3)
–To Understand the concept of Turing Machine

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TURING-COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS
• A total function f: Σ* → Σ* is Turing-computable if there exists a DTM M
such that for every x in Σ*,
(s, BxB) ├* (h, Bf(x)B).

• A partial f: Ω → Σ* is Turing-computable if there exists a DTM M such

that L(M)=Ω and for every x in Ω,
(s, BxB) ├* (h, Bf(x)B).

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TURING-COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS
Construct a TM for successive function ?
f : N → N, f(x) = x+1.
Assume that the input is encoded in UNARY form.
Let M = (Q, Σ, Γ, δ, q0, B, F)
Q = {q0,q1} q0=start state q1=final state
Σ = {0}
Γ = {0,B}
F = {q1}

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TURING-COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS
Construct a TM for successive function ?
f : N → N, f(x) = x+1.
Assume that the input is encoded in UNARY form.
Let M = (Q, Σ, Γ, δ, q0, B, F)
Q = {q0,q1} q0=start state q1=final state
Σ = {0}
Γ = {0,B}
F = {q1}

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TURING-COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS

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ADDITION
• We can represent numbers on a TM by using the unary representation, which
just uses n 0’s to represent the number n.
Example: 00000 = 5
• We can construct a TM to concatenate two strings together.
• If we represent two numbers in unary form, then a TM which concatenates
these two strings is actually performing addition!

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ADDITION
• Addition of two numbers as simple as concatenation of two strings.
• Assume two integers are represented in unary form on the tape of a Turing
machine.
• Assume the two integers are separated by a 1 between them.
• Design a Turing machine that will add these two numbers.

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ADDITION
• f(m,n)=m+n

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ADDITION
• 3+2

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SUBTRACTION M - N
• For example, proper subtraction m – n is defined to be
m – n for m >= n, and
zero for m < n.

• The TM M = ( {q0,q1,...,qf}, {0,1}, {0,1,B}, , q0, B, {} )

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SUBTRACTION M - N

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PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES OF TURING MACHINES
• Storage in the Finite Control
• Multiple Tracks
• Checking off Symbols
• Subroutines

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STORAGE IN THE FINITE CONTROL
• The finite control can be used to hold the finite amount of
information.
• It is considered as a pair of elements, like (q0,a), where one exercising
control and second component stores a symbol in the finite control.
• Consider a turing machine M which accepts the language 01* +
10*
• Let M = (Q, {0,1}, {0,1,B}, δ, {q0,B},B,F)
• Q = {q0,q1} x {0,1,B}
= ([q0,0], [q0,1], [q0,B], [q1,0], [q1,1], [q1,B])
• F = {[q1,B]}
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δ([q0,B],0) = ([q1,0], 0,R)
δ([q0,B],1) = ([q1,1], 1, R)

δ([q1,0],1) = ([q1,0], 1, R)
δ([q1,1],0) = ([q1,1], 0, R)

δ([q1,0],B) = ([q1,B],0,L)
δ([q1,1], B) = ([q1,B], 1, L)

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MULTIPLE TRACKS

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CHECKING OFF SYMBOLS
{wcwR|w in Σ*}
{aibi : i≥1}

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Consider a turing machine M = (Q, Σ, Γ, δ, q0, B, F) for the language
L = {wcw|w∈{a, b}+}
a) Q = {[q,d] | q = q1 q2.... q9 and d = a, b or B}
b) Σ = {[B, d] | d = a, b or c}
c) Γ = {[x, d] | x = B or and d = a, b, c or B}
d) q0 = [q1, B]
e) F = {[q9, B]}
f) B = [B, B]
g) δ is defined for d = a or b and e = a or b.
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CHECKING OFF SYMBOLS
Forward
δ([q1, B], [B, d]) = ([q2, d], [✓, d], R)
δ([q2, d], [B, e]) = ([q2, d], [B, e], R)
δ([q2,d], [B, c]} = ([q3, d], [B, c], R)
δ([q3,d], [✓, e]) = ([q3,d], [✓, e], R)
δ([q3,d], [B, d]) = ([q4,B], [✓, d], L)

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CHECKING OFF SYMBOLS
Backward
δ([q4,B], [✓, d]) = ([q4,B], [✓, d], L)
δ([q4,B], [B, c]) = ([q5,B], [B, c], L)
δ([q5,B], [B, d]) = ([q6,B], [B, d], L)
δ([q6,B], [B, d]) = ([q6,B], [B, d], L)
δ([q6,B], [✓, d]) = ([q1,B], [✓, d], R)

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CHECKING OFF SYMBOLS
Terminate
δ([q5,B], [✓, d]) = ([q7,B], [✓, d], R)
δ([q7,B], [B, c]) = ([q8,B], [B, c], R)
δ([q8,B], [✓, d]) = ([q8,B], [✓, d], R)
δ([q8,B], [B, B]) = ([q9,B], [, B], L)

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SUBROUTINES
δ(q0,0) = (q6, B, R)
δ(q6, 0) = (q6, 0, R)
δ(q6, 1) = (q1, 1, R)

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δ(q0, 001001) |– Bq601001B |– Bq80100100
|– B0q61001B |– q9B0100100 (
|– B01q1001B |– Bq00100100
|– BBq6100100
|– B01Xq201B |– BB1q100100
|– B01X0q21B |– BB1Xq20100
|– B01X01q2B |– BB1X0q2100
|– BB1X0q2100
|– B01X0q310 |– BB1X01q200
|– B01Xq3010 |– BB1X010q20
|– B01q3X010 |– BB1X0100q2B
|– BB1X010q300
|– B01Xq1010 |– BB1X01q3000
|– B01XXq210 |– BB1X0q31000
|– B01XX1q20 |– BB1Xq301000
|– BB1q3X01000
|– B01XX10q2B |– BB1Xq101000
|– B01XX1q300 |– BB1XXq21000
|– B01XXq3100 |– BB1XX1q2000
|– BB1XX10q200
|– B01Xq3X100 |– BB1XX100q20
|– B01XXq1100 |– BB1XX1000q2B
|– B01Xq4X100 |– BB1XX100q300
|– BB1XX10q3000
|– B01q4X0100 |– BB1XX1q30000
|– B0q4100100 |– BB1XXq310000
|– B01q500100 |– BB1Xq3X10000
|– BB1XXq110000
|– B0q7100100
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|– BB1Xq4X10000
|– BB1q4X010000
|– BBq410010000
|– BB1q50010000
|– BBq710010000
|– Bq8B10010000
|– BBq1010010000
|– BBBq110010000
|– BBBBq11010000
|– BBBBBq1110000
|– BBBBBBq120000

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SUMMARY
• Definition of Total and partial function
• Computing a numerical function using Turing Machine
• Programming techniques of Turing Machine

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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
• Which of the following statements is/are FALSE?
1. For every non-deterministic Turing machine, there exists an equivalent
deterministic Turing machine.
2. Turing recognizable languages are closed under union and complementation.
3. Turing decidable languages are closed under intersection and
complementation.
4. Turing recognizable languages are closed under union and intersection.
A. 1 and 4 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 only
D. 3 only

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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

• Which of the following is true for the language

L={ap/ p is prime}
A. It is not accepted by a Turing Machine
B. It is regular but not context-free
C. It is context-free but not regular
D. It is neither regular nor context-free, but accepted by a
Turing machine

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REFERENCE

• Hopcroft J.E., Motwani R. and Ullman J.D, “Introduction to

Automata Theory, Languages and Computations”, Second
Edition, Pearson Education, 2008

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