CSC-4890

Introduction to the Theory of Computation

Prof. Busch - LSU

General Info about Course

Instructor: Konstantin Busch Book: Introduction to the Theory of Computation Michael Sipser, 2nd edition

Prof. Busch - LSU

Course Goals
Provide computation Models

Analyze power of Models

Answer Intractability questions: What computational problems can each model solve? Answer Time Complexity questions: How much time we need to solve the problems?
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A widely accepted model of computation

CPU

memory

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The different components of memory

temporary memory input

CPU
output

Program memory

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Example:
temporary memory

f ( x) x

input

CPU
Program memory compute compute output

xx

x x
2
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f ( x) x
temporary memory

input

x2
CPU
Program memory compute compute output

xx

x x
2
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temporary memory

z 2*2 4 f ( x) z * 2 8

f ( x) x

input

x2
CPU
Program memory compute compute output

xx

x x
2
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temporary memory

z 2*2 4 f ( x) z * 2 8

f ( x) x

input

x2
CPU
Program memory compute compute

f ( x) 8

xx

output

x x
2
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Automaton
temporary memory Automaton

input

CPU
output

Program memory

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Automaton
temporary memory Automaton

input output

transition

state

CPU+ProgramMem = States + Transitions

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Different Kinds of Automata

Automata are distinguished by the temporary memory Finite Automata: Pushdown Automata: Turing Machines: no temporary memory stack random access memory

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Memory affects computational power: More flexible memory results to The solution of more computational problems

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Finite Automaton
temporary memory

Finite Automaton

input output

Example: Elevators, Vending Machines,

Lexical Analyzers (small computing power)
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Temp. memory

Pushdown Automaton
Stack Push, Pop

Pushdown Automaton

input output

Example: Parsers for Programming Languages (medium computing power)

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Turing Machine
Temp. memory

Random Access Memory

Turing Machine

input output

Examples: Any Algorithm (highest known computing power)

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Power of Automata
Simple problems More complex problems Hardest problems

Finite Automata

Pushdown Automata

Turing Machine

Less power

More power
Solve more computational problems
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Turing Machine is the most powerful known computational model

Question: can Turing Machines solve all computational problems?

Answer: NO (there are unsolvable problems)

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Time Complexity of Computational Problems: P problems:

(Polynomial time problems)

Solved in polynomial time

NP-complete problems:
(Non-deterministic Polynomial time problems)

Believed to take exponential time to be solved

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