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Groups > comp.theory > #36481

Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus!

From Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups comp.theory
Subject Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus!
Date 2021-07-17 01:03 +0100
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <87sg0dolgt.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References <20210716142416.00003996@reddwarf.jmc> <871r7ys7pd.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <INqdnZRsHJyUCWz9nZ2dnUU7-afNnZ2d@giganews.com>

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olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> writes:

> On 7/16/2021 8:34 AM, Ben Bacarisse wrote:
>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> writes:
>> 
>>> All extant halting problem proofs appear to be predicated on a
>>> misunderstanding of the following contradiction:
>> I don't think you've read any actual proofs, let along all of them.  Why
>> you would even say such a thing?
>> 
>>> 	Suppose T[R] is a Boolean function taking a routine
>>> 	(or program) R with no formal or free variables as its
>>> 	argument and that for all R, T[R] — True if R terminates
>>> 	if run and that T[R] = False if R does not terminate. Consider
>>> 	the routine P defined as follows
>>>
>>> 		rec routine P
>>> 			§L :if T[P] goto L
>>> 		Return §
>>>
>>> 	If T[P] = True the routine P will loop, and it will
>>> 	only terminate if T[P] = False. In each case T[P] has
>>> 	exactly the wrong value, and this contradiction shows
>>> 	that the function T cannot exist.
>>>
>>> 	[Strachey 1965]
>>>
>>> T is indeed unable to decide P but for the wrong reason: T[P] is
>>> recursive
>> T[P] is not recursive.  Maybe you don't understand what the CPL means?
>> Further, this argument must fail for any of the actual proofs that are
>> based on Turing machine because TMs have not functions, not calls and no
>> recursion.
>> 
> Peter Linz Ĥ applied to the Turing machine description of itself: ⟨Ĥ⟩
>
> Ĥ.q0 wM ⊢* Ĥ.qx wM wM ⊢* Ĥ.qy ∞
> if M applied to wM halts, and
>
> Ĥ.q0 wM ⊢* Ĥ.qx wM wM ⊢* Ĥ.qn
> if M applied to wM does not halt

Why did you not show what you said you'd show?  Were afraid that the
contradiction would be too clear if really did apply Ĥ to ⟨Ĥ⟩?  What you
get is this:

 Ĥ.q0 ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⊢* Ĥ.qx ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⟨Ĥ⟩⊢* Ĥ.qy ∞
 if Ĥ applied to ⟨Ĥ⟩ halts, and

 Ĥ.q0 ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⊢* Ĥ.qx ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⊢* Ĥ.qn
 if Ĥ applied to ⟨Ĥ⟩ does not halt

!!!

The first two lines say that "Ĥ applied ⟨Ĥ⟩ does not halt if Ĥ applied
to ⟨Ĥ⟩ halts".  The second two say "Ĥ applied ⟨Ĥ⟩ halts if Ĥ applied to
⟨Ĥ⟩ does not halt".

> When we hypothesize that the halt decider embedded in Ĥ is simply a
> UTM then it seems that when the Peter Linz Ĥ is applied to its own
> Turing machine description ⟨Ĥ⟩ this specifies a computation that never
> halts.

Then you enter a fantasy world because a UTM is can't be a halt decider.
But that's not really what you mean.  Don't call it "the Peter Linz Ĥ"
with "the halt decider embedded in Ĥ ... a UTM".  Call it what it is --
the Linz "hat" construction applied to a UTM.  There's a simple notation
for that: UTM^.

The fact that UTM^([UTM^]) is a computation that never halts is
obvious.  You don't need to keep going over stuff that is not in
dispute.

> Within the hypothesis that the internal halt decider embedded within Ĥ
> simulates its input Ĥ applied to its own Turing machine description
> ⟨Ĥ⟩ derives infinitely nested simulation, unless this simulation is
> aborted.

This no parse.

> Self-Evident-Truth (premise[1])
> When the pure simulation of a machine on its input never halts we know
> that the execution of this machine on its input never halts.

Again, never in doubt.  A computation and the simulation of a
computation have the same halting status.  But this is just window
dressing to prime the pump for your garbled "adapted" definition of
halting.

> Self-Evident-Truth (premise[2])
> The ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⟨Ĥ⟩ input to the embedded simulating halt decider at Ĥ.qx is
> pure simulation that never halts.

Not according to you.  Your H (not Linz's non-existent H) is not a pure
simulator.

> ∴ Sound Deductive Conclusion
> The embedded simulating halt decider at Ĥ.qx correctly decides its
> input: ⟨Ĥ⟩ ⟨Ĥ⟩ is a computation that never halts.

We know, from before you realised that being clear was a mistake, that
you claim to have a TM (equivalent), H that rejects <[H^],[H^]> despite
the fact that H^([H^]) is a finite (halting) computation.  Your desire
to reference Linz means I must assume you know that this is the wrong
answer.  H is not a halt decider because is gets at least this one case
wrong.

> Ĥ.q0 ⟨Ĥ⟩ specifies an infinite chain of invocations that is terminated
> at its third invocation.

Apparently so, but you are keeping H hidden, just in case.  The
statement here, along a previous confirmation and an explicit trace you
once mistakenly provided, all go to show that you know that H^([H^]) is
a finite computation.  If you still want to be talking about the halting
problem, that means that H should accept the string <[H^],[H^]>.  But
you tell is it does not.

17 years and you have nothing but a TM that is wrong.  No doubt if I say
that you yourself are telling us it's wrong you'll call me a liar, but
with all these quotes of Linz, and so many references to the accepting
and rejecting states, how could you not know that H should accept
strings that denote halting computations are reject the others?  It's
the very corner stone of what you claim to have been "working" on for 17
years.

-- 
Ben.

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Thread

Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-16 14:24 +0100
  Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-16 14:34 +0100
    Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-16 14:39 +0100
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 09:36 -0500
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-16 15:39 +0100
          Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-16 08:38 -0700
            Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 11:04 -0500
              Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-16 09:25 -0700
                Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 12:03 -0500
                Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-16 19:50 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-16 15:46 +0100
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-16 15:40 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-16 15:42 +0100
          Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-17 01:06 +0100
            Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 10:52 -0500
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk> - 2021-07-16 16:12 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 10:52 -0500
          Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-16 09:11 -0700
            Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 11:15 -0500
    Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 09:13 -0500
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-16 08:32 -0700
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-17 01:03 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 10:46 -0500
          Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-18 02:32 +0100
            Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-19 10:10 -0500
              Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-20 01:35 +0100
                Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 09:24 -0500
                Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-21 01:28 +0100
              Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-19 20:48 -0700
  Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> - 2021-07-16 15:27 +0100
    Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-16 15:36 +0100
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 10:02 -0500
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> - 2021-07-16 22:09 +0100
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-16 08:46 -0700
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> - 2021-07-16 22:07 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 16:20 -0500
          Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> - 2021-07-16 22:25 +0100
            Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 16:32 -0500
              Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> - 2021-07-17 11:48 +0100
    Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 09:44 -0500
      Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> - 2021-07-16 22:10 +0100
  Re: Halting Problem proofs appear to be bogus! olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-16 09:32 -0500

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