Lecture 11

Theory of Computation
Lecture #10
Sarmad Abbasi
Virtual University
Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)
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Lecture 10: Overview
Undecidability of the Halting Problem

Russells Paradox
Reducibility
Undecidable Problems
Linear bounded automata
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Acceptance Problem for TMs
Let us define
ATM = {hM, wi : M is a TM that accepts w}.
This is called the acceptance problem for TMs or the halting problem.
We also call this the Halting Problem. We showed that this problem is
undecidable.
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Theorem
ATM is not decidable.
The language ATM is undecidable. There is no TH H such that on input
hM, wi
1
H accepts if M accepts w.
H rejects if M does not accept w.
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If H exists we can use H to construct D as follows:

1
On input hMi.
Convert hMi into hM, hMii
Run H on hM, hMii.
Output the opposite of what H does; that is

If H accepts reject, if H rejects accept.
Once we have constructed D we will ask how it behaves on its own

description.
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Assume that H exists. We use H to construct D. This is easy D simply

converts its input hMi into hM, hMii and calls H. It returns the answer
that is opposite of the one given by H.
1
H accepts hM, wi exactly when M accepts w.
D rejects hMi exactly when M accepts hMi.
D rejects hDi exactly when D accepts hDi.
This leads to a contradiction.
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Russells Paradox
In a town called Seville there lives a barber.

A man Seville is shaved by the barber if and only if the man does not
shave himself?"
Question
Does the barber of Seville shaves himself.
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Russells Paradox
Students are asked to make a list in which they can include the names
of anyone (including themselves) in a class room. Is there a particular
student wrote the names of those people in the class who did not
include their own names in their own list?
Question
Does that particular student write his/her own name on his/her list?
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Russells Paradox
Is it possible to have an enumerator that enumerates the description of

all the enumerators that do not enumerate their own description.
Suppose such an enumerator F exists.
Question
Does F enumerate its own description?
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Russells Paradox
D that accepts (the description of) those TMs that do not accept
their own description.
Barber who shaves all those people who do not shave themselves.
Student who lists all those students who do not list themselves.
Enumerator that enumerates (the description of) all those

enumerators that do not enumerate themselves.
Such objects cannot exist.
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Reducibility
Suppose u have a language B in your mind and you can prove that
If I can make a decider for B the I can make a decider for the halting
problem.
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Reducibility
Now suppose some one claims that they have a decider for the
language B. Then I can claim that I have a decider for ATM . Which is
absurd.
From this we can conclude that B is also undecidable as we know that
ATM is undecidable.
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Reducibility
HALTTM = {hM, wi : M is a TM that halts on w}.
Theorem
HALTTM is undecidable.
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Reducibility
Suppose that HALTTM is decidable and R decides HALTTM . If we have

R then we have no problem on TM that loop endlessly. We can always
check if a TM will loop endlessly on a given input using R. We can use
R to make a decider for ATM . We know that ATM is undecidable. We
have a contradiction and that is why R cannot exist.
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Reducibility
Given R we can construct S which decides ATM that operates as

follows:
On input hM, wi
1
Run TM R on input hM, wi.
If R rejects, reject.
If R accepts, simulate M on w until it halts.
If M has accepted w, accept; if M has rejected w, reject.
Note that S will reject hM, wi even if M loops on w.
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Emptiness problem for TMs
ETM = {hMi : L(M) = }.
Theorem
ETM is undecidable.
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Emptiness problem
Suppose that ETM is decidable and R decides ETM . R accepts hMi if the
language of M is empty. We can use R to make a decider S for ATM .
We know that ATM is undecidable. We have a contradiction and that is
why R cannot exist. How can we construct S?
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Emptiness problem
S gets hM, wi as an input. The first idea is to run R on input hMi and
check if it accepts. If it does, we know that L(M) is empty and therefore
that M does not accept w. But, if R rejects we only know that the
language of R is not empty. We do not know anything about what it
does on w. So the idea does not work. We have to come up with
another idea.
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Emptiness problem
Given M and w let us consider M1 :

1
On input x
If x 6= w, reject.
If x = w, run M on input w and accept if M accepts w.
What is L(M1 )?
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Emptiness problem

L(M1 ) =
,
if M does not accept w;
{w}, if M accepts w.
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Emptiness problem
Given R we can now we can construct S which decides ATM that

operates as follows:
On input hM, wi
1
Run TM R on input hM, wi.
Construct M1
Run R on hM1 i
If R accepts hM1 i, reject. If it rejects hM1 i accept.
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Emptiness problem
S is a decider for ATM . Since S does not exist we conclude that R does
not exist. So ETM is undecidable.
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Regular languages and TMs
REGTM = {hMi : L(M) is regular}.
Theorem
REGTM is undecidable.
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Suppose that REGTM is decidable and R decides REGTM . R accepts all

TMs that accept a regular language and reject all TMs that do not
accept a regular language. How can we use R to construct a decider
for ATM ? Note that S has to get as input hM, wi and has to decide if M
accepts w. The idea is as follows:
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S gets hM, wi as an input. Given M and w we will construct a machine

M2 such that

is regular,
if M accpets w;
L(M2 ) =
not regular , if M does not w.
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Given M and w let us consider M2 :

1
On input x
If x = 0n 1n then accept.
else run M on input w and accept x if M accepts w.
What is L(M2 )?
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L(M2 ) =
{0n 1n : n 0}, if M does not accept w;

{0, 1} ,
if M accepts w.
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Given R we can now we can construct S which decides ATM that

operates as follows:
On input hM, wi
1
Construct M2
Run R on hM2 i
If R accepts hM2 i, accept. If it rejects hM2 i reject.
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S is a decider for ATM . Since S does not exist we conclude that R does
not exist. So REGTM is undecidable.
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Equivalence problem for TMs
So far we have only used ATM to show that other problems are
undecidable. Let us do something different. Let us define:
EQTM = {hM1 , M2 i : L(M1 ) = L(M2 )}.
Theorem
EQTM is undecidable.
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Suppose that EQTM is decidable and R decides EQTM . ETM is the

problem of determining whether the language of a TM is empty. EQTM
is the problem of determining whether the languages of two TMs are
the same. If one of these languages is forced to be the empty set, we
end up with the problem of determining whether the language of the
other machine is empty.
ETM is a special case of EQTM .
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Suppose R decides EQTM . We design S to decide ETM .

S gets hMi as an input. Let M0 be a machine that rejects all inputs.
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On input hMi
1
Run R on hM, M0 i
If R accepts, accept. If it rejects , reject.
It is easy to see that the language of S is ETM . As, ETM is undecidable

so is EQTM .
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Linear Bounded Automata

An LBA L is a restricted type of TM. Its tape head is not permitted to
move off the portion of the tape containing the input.
Here is a diagram of an LBA:
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Linear Bounded Automata
As you can see the input portion of the tape is the only tape that the
LBA is allowed to move its head on.
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Theory of Computation

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Lecture 10: Overview

Undecidability of the Halting Problem

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Acceptance Problem for TMs

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Undecidability of the Halting Problem

H rejects if M does not accept w.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Undecidability of the Halting Problem

If H exists we can use H to construct D as follows:

Convert hMi into hM, hMii

Run H on hM, hMii.

Output the opposite of what H does; that is

Once we have constructed D we will ask how it behaves on its own

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Undecidability of the Halting Problem

Assume that H exists. We use H to construct D. This is easy D simply

H accepts hM, wi exactly when M accepts w.

D rejects hMi exactly when M accepts hMi.

D rejects hDi exactly when D accepts hDi.

This leads to a contradiction.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

In a town called Seville there lives a barber.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Is it possible to have an enumerator that enumerates the description of

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Enumerator that enumerates (the description of) all those

Such objects cannot exist.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

HALTTM = {hM, wi : M is a TM that halts on w}.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Suppose that HALTTM is decidable and R decides HALTTM . If we have

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Given R we can construct S which decides ATM that operates as

Run TM R on input hM, wi.

If R accepts, simulate M on w until it halts.

If M has accepted w, accept; if M has rejected w, reject.

Note that S will reject hM, wi even if M loops on w.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Emptiness problem for TMs

ETM = {hMi : L(M) = }.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Given M and w let us consider M1 :

If x = w, run M on input w and accept if M accepts w.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Given R we can now we can construct S which decides ATM that

Run TM R on input hM, wi.

If R accepts hM1 i, reject. If it rejects hM1 i accept.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Regular languages and TMs

REGTM = {hMi : L(M) is regular}.

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)

Regular languages and TMs

Suppose that REGTM is decidable and R decides REGTM . R accepts all

Sarmad Abbasi (Virtual University)