SSK5204

CHAPTER 8:TURING MACHINES

DR. NOR FAZLIDA MOHD SANI,
DEPT. OF COMPUTER SCIENCE,
FAC. OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY, UPM.

WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

program
input

computer

output

A computer is a machine that manipulates data

according to a list of instructions.

WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
void hello( String name)
{
print( Hello, , name);
}

world

deep blue
E2-E4

computer

Hello, world

?
3

TURING MACHINES
control

head

a b b
input

blanks

Can both read from and write to the tape

Head can move both left and right

Tape is infinite
Has two special states accept and reject
4

EXAMPLE
L1 = {w#w: w {a, b}*}

Strategy:
Read and remember the first symbol

abbaa#abbaa

Cross it off (x)

xbbaa#abbaa

Read the first symbol past #

xbbaa#abbaa

If they dont match, reject

If they do, cross it off

xbbaa#xbbaa

EXAMPLE
L1 = {w#w: w {a, b}*}

Strategy:
Look for the first uncrossed symbol

xbbaa#xbbaa

Cross it off (x)

xxbaa#xbbaa

Read the first uncrossed symbol past # xxbaa#xbbaa

If they match, cross it off, else reject

xxbaa#xxbaa

xxxxx#xxxxx
At the end, there should be only xs and #s
If not, reject; otherwise, accept.
6

HOW TURING MACHINES OPERATE

current state
q1

a/bL

q2

a b a

Replace a with b, and move head left

new state
q1

a/bL

q2

a b b

FORMAL DEFINITION
A Turing Machine is (Q, , , , q0, qacc, qrej):

Q is a finite set of states;

is the input alphabet not containing the blank symbol
is the tape alphabet ( ) including
q0 in Q is the start state;
qacc, qrej in Q are the accepting and rejecting state
is the transition function

: (Q {qacc, qrej}) Q {L, R}

Turing Machines are deterministic

8

CONFIGURATIONS
A configuration consists of the current state, the head
position, and tape contents
configuration
q1

q1

qacc

a/bR

abq1a

qacc

abbqacc

CONFIGURATIONS
We say configuration C yields C if the TM can go from C
to C in one step
abq1a yields abbqacc
The start configuration of the TM on input w is q0w

An accepting configuration is one that contains qacc;

A rejecting configuration is one that contains qrej

10

THE LANGUAGE OF A TURING MACHINE

We say M accepts x if there exists a sequence of
configurations C0, C1, ..., Ck where

C0 is starting

Ci yields Ci+1 Ck is accepting

The language recognized by M is the set of

all strings that M accepts

11

LOOPING
Something strange can happen in a Turing Machine:
/R

qacc

q0

= {0, 1}
input: e

qrej

This machine
never halts

Inputs can be divided into three types

qacc

accept

qrej

reject

loop
12

HALTING
We say M halts on x if there exists a sequence of
configurations C0, C1, ..., Ck where

C0 is starting

Ci yields Ci+1

Ck is accepting
or rejecting

A TM M is a decider if it halts on every input

Language L is decidable if it is recognized by
a TM that halts on every input
13

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

Description of Turing Machine: L1 = {w#w: w {a, b}*}
1

Until you reach #

Read and remember entry

Write x
Move right past # and past all xs
If this entry is different, reject
Otherwise
Write x
Move left past # and to right of first x

If you see only xs followed by , accept

2
3
4
5

xbbaa#xbbaa
xxbaa#xbbaa
xxbaa#xbbaa

xxbaa#xxbaa
xxbaa#xxbaa

14

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

a/aR
b/bR

L1 = {w#w: w {a, b}*}

x/xR
#/#R

x/xR

a/aL
b/bL
x/xL

q0 #/#R
q1 /R qacc
1
8

q2

qa1

qa2

a/aL
b/bL

#/#L

q3

qrej

everything else

qb1
a/aR
b/bR

#/#R

qb2
x/xR

x/xR
15

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

input: aab#aab

a/aR
b/bR

x/xR
#/#R

x/xR

a/aL
b/bL
x/xL

q0 #/#R
q1 /R qacc
1
8

q2

qa1

qb1
a/aR
b/bR

#/#R

qa2

qb2
x/xR

x/xR

a/aL
b/bL

#/#L

q3
7

configurations:
q0aab#aab
xqa1ab#aab
xaqa1b#aab
xabqa1#aab
xab#qa2aab
xabq2#xab
xaq3b#xab
xq3ab#xab
q3xab#xab
xq0ab#xab
16

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L2 = {aibjck: i j = k and i, j, k > 0 }

High-level description of TM:

aabbcccc

For every a:

aabbcccc

Cross off the same number of bs and cs

Uncross the crossed bs (but not the cs)
Cross off this a
If all as and cs are crossed off, accept.

aabbcccc

= {a, b, c}

= {a, b, c, a, b, c, }

aabbcccc
aabbcccc
aabbcccc
aabbcccc
aabbcccc
17

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L2 = {aibjck: i j = k and i, j, k > 0 }

Low-level description of TM:

Scan input from left to right to check it looks like aa*bb*cc*
Move the head to the first symbol of the tape
For every a:
how do we know?

Cross off the same number of bs and cs how to do this?

Restore the crossed of bs (but not the cs)
Cross off this a
If all as and cs are crossed off, accept.
18

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

aabbcccc

Implementation details:

Move the head to the first symbol of the tape

aabbcccc
Put a special marker on top of first a

Cross off the same number of bs and cs:

aaqbbcccc
aabqbcccc
aabbqcccc
aabqbcccc
aabbqcccc
aabbcqccc
aabbqcccc

Replace b by b
Move right until you see a c
Replace c by c
Move left just past the last b
If any bs are left, repeat

= {a, b, c}

= {a, b, c, a, b, c, a, a, }

19

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L3 = {#x1#x2...#xl : xi {0, 1}* and xi xj for each i j}

High-level description of TM:

#01#0011#1

On input w,
For every pair of blocks xi and xj in w,
Compare the blocks xi and
xj they are the same,
If
reject. accept.
Otherwise,

20

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L3 = {#x1#x2...#xl : xi {0, 1}* and xi xj for each i j}

Low-level description:

#01#0011#1

0. If input is e, or has exactly one #, accept.

1. Place a mark on the leftmost #

(i.e. replace # by #) and move right

#01#0011#1

#
2. Place another mark on next unmarked#01#0011#1
(If there are no more #, accept)

21

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L3 = {#x1#x2...#xl : xi {0, 1}* and xi xj for each i j}

#01#0011#1

current state:
3. Compare the two strings to the right

of marked #. If there are same, reject

#01#0011#1

#01#0011#1
4. Move the right # to the right

If not possible, move the left # to the

next # and put the right # on the next

If not possible, accept

5. Repeat Step 3

#01#0011#1
22

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L3 = {#x1#x2...#xl : xi {0, 1}* and xi xj for each i j}

3. Compare the two strings to the right

of marked #. If there are same, reject

#01#0011#1

#01#0011#1

4. Move the right # to the right

If not possible, move the left # to the accept

next # and put the right # on the next

If not possible, accept

23

HOW TO DESCRIBE TURING

MACHINES?
Unlike for DFAs, NFAs, PDAs, we rarely give complete
state diagrams of Turing Machines

Usually we give a high-level description:

A recipe about the workings of the Turing Machine

Just like in cooking, practice makes perfect!

24

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L4 = {G: G is a connected undirected graph}

Q: How do we feed a graph into a Turing Machine?

A: We represent it by a string, e.g.
(1,2,3,4)((1,4),(2,3),(3,4)(4,2))
1

Convention for describing graphs:

(nodes)(edges)
no node must repeat
edges are pairs (node1,node2)
25

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L4 = {G: G is a connected undirected graph}

On input G,
0. Verify that G is the description of a graph
(no vertex repeats; edges only go between nodes)
1. Mark the first node of G
1

2. Repeat until no new nodes are marked:

For each node, mark it if it is attached
to an already marked node

3. If all nodes are marked accept, otherwise reject.

x
4

26

PROGRAMMING TURING MACHINES

L4 = {G: G is a connected undirected graph}

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))
1

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))
(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))
3

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))
(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))
(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))

(1,2,3,4)((1,4)(2,3)(3,4)(4,2))

etc.27

Whats so great about

Turing Machines?

28

Hilberts list of 23 problems

Leading mathematician in the 1900s
At the 1900 International Congress
of Mathematicians, proposed a list of
23 problems for the 20th century
David Hilbert

Hilberts 10th problem:

(1862-1943)

Find a method to tell if an equation like

xyz 3xy + 6xz + 2 = 0 has integer solutions
29

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COMPUTING

DEVICES

Z3 (Germany, 1941)

PC (1980)

ENIAC (Pennsylvania, 1945)

MacBook Air (2008)

30

COMPUTATION IS UNIVERSAL

In principle, all these

have the same problem-solving ability

31

THE CHURCH-TURING THESIS

Turing Machine

If an algorithm can be implemented on

any realistic computer, then it can be
implemented on a Turing Machine.

32

THE CHURCH-TURING THESIS

Turing Machine
quantum computing

cosmic computing
DNA computing

33

ALAN TURING
Invented the Turing Test to tell
humans and computers apart
Broke German encryption machines
in World War II
The Turing Award is the Nobel
prize of Computer Science
Alan Turing
(1912-1954)

Turings motivation: By studying Turing

Machines, we can understand the limitations of
real computers.
34

UNDECIDABILITY
What Hilbert meant to ask was:

Find a Turing Machine to tell if an equation

like
xyz 3xy + 6xz + 2 = 0 has integer solutions

Building on work of Gdel, Church, Turing, Davis,

Putnam, Robinson, in 1970 Matijasievi showed:

There is no such Turing Machine!

35

COMPUTER PROGRAM ANALYSIS

public static void main(String args[]) {
System.out.println("Hello World!");
}

What does this program do?

public static void main(String args[]) {
int i = 0;
for (j = 1; j < 10; j++) {
i += j;
if (i == 28) {
System.out.println("Hello World!");
}
}
}

How about this one?

36

COMPUTERS CANNOT ANALYZE

PROGRAMS!
No Turing Machine can do this:
input: The code of a java program P
Accept if P prints hello, world
Reject if not
Significance: It is impossible for computer
to predict what a computer program will
do!
37

HOW DO YOU ARGUE THINGS LIKE

THAT?
To argue what computers cannot do,
we need to have a precise definition
of what a computer is.
Turings answer: A computer is just
a Turing Machine.
1936: On Computable Numbers, with an
Application to the Entscheidungsproblem
Section 1. Computing Machines
38

THE CHURCH-TURING THESIS

All arguments [for the CT Thesis] which can be given are
bound to be, fundamentally, appeals to intuition, and for this
reason rather unsatisfactory mathematically.
The arguments which I shall use are of three kinds:
1. A direct appeal to intuition
2. A proof of the equivalence of two definitions
(In case the new definition has greater intuitive appeal)
3. Giving examples of large classes of numbers which are
computable.
1936: On Computable Numbers, with an
Application to the Entscheidungsproblem
Section 9. The extent of the computable numbers
39

Variants of Turing Machines

40

THE CHURCH-TURING THESIS

All arguments [for the CT Thesis] which can be given are
bound to be, fundamentally, appeals to intuition, and for this
reason rather unsatisfactory mathematically.
The arguments which I shall use are of three kinds:
1. A direct appeal to intuition
2. A proof of the equivalence of two definitions
(In case the new definition has greater intuitive appeal)
3. Giving examples of large classes of numbers [languages]
which are computable.
1936: On Computable Numbers, with an
Application to the Entscheidungsproblem
41
Section 9. The extent of the computable numbers

THE MULTITAPE TURING MACHINE

control

tape 1 0 1 0

tape 2 0 1

tape 3 1 0 0

The transition may depend on the contents of

all the cells
Different tape heads can be moved independently

42

THE MULTITAPE TURING MACHINE

0 1 0

0 1

1 0 0

q3

0/1R
/1R
0/0L

q7

1 1 0

0 1 1

1 0 0

Multiple tapes are convenient,

e.g. one can serve as temporary storage
43

HOW TO ARGUE EQUIVALENCE

Multitape Turing Machines are equivalent
to single-tape Turing Machines

single tape

multiple tapes

44

THE MULTITAPE TURING MACHINE

Multitape Turing Machines are equivalent
to single-tape Turing Machines

# 0

= {0, 1, }

0 # 0

# 1

0 #

= {0, 1, , 0, 1, , #}

45

SIMULATING A MULTITAPE TM
We show how to simulate a multitape TM on an single
tape TM

To be specific, lets do a 3-tape TM

x

y1

y2

z1

zc

xa xi

yb

yj
zk

Multitape TM

#x1x2...x a...xi#y1y2...yb...yj#z1z2...zc...zk#

Single-tape TM
46

SIMULATING A MULTITAPE TM
Single-tape TM: Initialization

w1w2...wn

#w 1w2...wn###

# 0

0 #

S: On input w1...wn:

1. Replace tape contents by

#w1w2...wn###
Remember that M is in state q0
47

SIMULATING A MULTITAPE TM
Single-tape TM: Simulating Multitape TM moves
Suppose Multitape TM wants to move like this:

q3

0/1R
/1R
0/0L

q7

We simulate move on single-tape TM like this:

# 0

# 0

0 # 0

0 # 0

# 1

# 1

0 #
0

0 #

48

SIMULATING A MULTITAPE TM
S: On input w1...wn:

1. Replace tape contents by

#w1w2...wn###
Remember (in state) that M is in state q0
2. To simulate a step of M:

Make a pass over tape to find
x, y, z

#x1x2...x...x
i#y1y2...y...yj#z1z2...z...zk#

If M is in state qi and has

update state / tape accordingly.

transitionqi

x/xA
y/yB
z/zC

qj

3. If M reaches accept (reject) state, accept (reject).

49

DOING SIMULATIONS
To simulate a model M by another model N:
1. Say how the state and storage of N is used
to represent the state and storage of M
2. Say what should be initially done to convert
the input of N (if anything)

3. Say how each transition of M can be implemented

by a sequence of transitions of N

50

WHAT DOES A COMPUTER LOOK

LIKE?
CPU
PC

0000

arithmetic
logical unit
registers

R0
R1
R2
R3

instruction
memory

data memory

0100
1010
0000
0000

51

WHAT DOES A COMPUTER LOOK

LIKE?
instruction memory

CPU
PC

0000
0001
0010
0011
0100

0000

arithmetic
logical unit
registers

R0
R1
R2
R3

load 0001
write R3
store R5
add R5
jpos 0011
...

0100
1010

data memory

0000

0000

0001

0010

0011

0100

0000

0110

0110

0110

0110

0110

52

INSTRUCTION SET
load x

Put the value x into R0

load Rk

Copy the value of Rk into R0

store Rk

Copy the value of R0 into Rk

read Rk

Copy the value at memory location Rk into R0

write Rk

Copy the value of R0 into memory location Rk

add Rk

Add R0 and Rk, and put result in R0

jump n

Set PC to n

jzero n

Set PC to n, if R0 is zero

jpos n

Set PC to n, if R0 is positive

53

RANDOM ACCESS MACHINES

PC 0

program
counter

R0

registers

R1

R2

2
0

1
1

2
2

0
1
2
3
4
5

instruction

meaning

load -7
write R2
store R1
add R1
jzero 3
accept

R0 := -7
M[R2] := R0
R1 := R0
R0 := R0 + R5
if R0 = 0 then PC := 3

2
3

0
4

memory

It has registers that can store integer values, a

program counter, and a random-access memory
54

RANDOM ACCESS MACHINES

PC 01
23
45
R0
R1

07
14
07

R2

0-7
0

0
1
2
3
4
5

0
1

0
2

instruction

meaning

load 7
write R2
store R1
add R1
jzero 3
accept

R0 := 7
M[R2] := R0
R1 := R0
R0 := R0 + R1
if R0 = 0 then PC := 3

0
3

0
4

The instructions are indexed by the program counter

Initially, the input is in the first k memory cells, all registers
and PC are set to 0
55

RANDOM ACCESS MACHINES

Random access machines are equivalent
to Turing Machines
Simulating a Turing Machine on a RAM:

PC

= {0, 1, 2, ..., k}

R0

blank
56

SIMULATING A TM ON A RAM
q0 1/2R q1

R1

0
1
2
3

store R1
read R1
x
add -1
jzero 6

handle
for state
q0
save
head
position
read tape contents

if x = 1 goto line 6

6
7
8
9
10

load 2
new value of cell
write R1
write in memory
load R1
recall head position
add 1 move head to right
30
jump
go to state q1
handle for state q1
30 store R1

PC 0
R0

program

200 accept

handle for state qacc

57

SIMULATING A TM ON A RAM
q0 1/2R q1

R0

23
2
0
21

R1

02

program
store R1
read R1
x
add -1
jzero 6

handle
for state
q0
save
head
position
read tape contents

load 2
write R1
load R1
add 1
30
jump
30 store R1

new value of cell

write in memory
recall head position
move head to right
go to state q1
handle for state q1

0
1
2
3
6
7
8
9
10

(head)

if x = 1 goto line 6

12 (tape)
58

SIMULATING A RAM ON A TURING

MACHINE
The configuration of a RAM consists of
Program counter
Contents of registers
Indices and contents of all nonempty memory cells

PC 14
R0

R1

17

R2

2
0

configuration =
(14, 3, 17, 5, (0, 2), (2, 1), (3, 2))

0
1

1
2

2
3

0
4

59

SIMULATING A RAM ON A 2-TAPE TM

The TM has a simulation tape and a scratch tape
The simulation tape stores RAM configuration

(14,3,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2))

The TM has a set of states corresponding to each

program instruction of the RAM
The TM tape is updates according to RAM instruction

60

SIMULATING A RAM ON A 2-TAPE TM

Initialization
TM input:

122

RAM initial state: PC 0

R0

...

S: On input w1...wn:
1. Replace tape contents by
(0, 0, 0, ..., 0, (0, w1), (1, w2), ..., (n-1, wn))
61

SIMULATING A RAM ON A 2-TAPE TM

Example: load R1

(14,3,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2))

1. Copy R1 to scratch tape s 17

2. Write R1 to conf tape

c
s

(14,1,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2))
17

.
(14,1,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2) )

.
(14,1 ,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2))

3. Erase scratch tape

(14,17,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2))

4. Update PC

(15,17,17,5,(0,2),(2,1),(3,2))

Make more space

as needed

62

SIMULATING A RAM ON A 2-TAPE TM

S: On input w1...wn:

1. Replace tape contents by

(0, 0, 0, ..., 0, (0, w1), (1, w2), ..., (n-1, wn))
2. Simulate instruction in RAM program
by a sequence of TM transitions

See notes for details.

3. If RAM instruction is accept, go to accept state.
If RAM instruction is reject, go to reject state.

63