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Groups > comp.theory > #36507 > unrolled thread

Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2

Started byMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
First post2021-07-17 13:50 +0100
Last post2021-07-17 07:36 -0700
Articles 20 on this page of 111 — 9 participants

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  Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 13:50 +0100
    Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 13:22 +0000
      Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 14:37 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 13:59 +0000
          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 15:06 +0100
            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 09:17 -0500
            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 14:20 +0000
              Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 15:24 +0100
                Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 14:34 +0000
                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 15:38 +0100
                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 14:45 +0000
                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 15:53 +0100
                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 15:12 +0000
                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) [ Rice's Theorem ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 11:53 -0500
                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-07-17 20:38 +0100
                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-17 08:04 -0700
                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 16:12 +0100
                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-17 08:25 -0700
                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 16:28 +0100
                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-17 08:37 -0700
                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 11:58 -0500
                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-07-17 14:17 -0700
                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 11:23 -0500
                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 17:45 +0100
                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 12:08 -0500
              Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 11:17 -0500
                Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 20:05 +0000
                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 15:19 -0500
                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-17 20:51 +0000
                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 16:48 -0500
                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-18 10:57 +0000
                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-18 07:36 -0600
                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-19 08:58 -0500
                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-19 08:23 -0700
                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-19 18:20 +0000
                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 08:25 -0500
                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-20 17:35 +0000
                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 13:26 -0500
                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> - 2021-07-20 18:53 +0000
                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 14:04 -0500
                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 12:27 -0700
                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 13:49 -0600
                                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 17:14 -0500
                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 16:27 -0600
                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 18:20 -0500
                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 18:34 -0600
                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 21:04 -0500
                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 20:24 -0600
                                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 22:06 -0500
                                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 20:21 -0700
                                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 21:26 -0600
                                                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 22:53 -0500
                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 22:02 -0600
                                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-20 23:24 -0500
                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 22:12 -0700
                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-20 23:32 -0600
                                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ DOES NOT HOLD ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 09:11 -0500
                                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ DOES NOT HOLD ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 10:03 -0600
                                                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ DOES NOT HOLD ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 11:11 -0500
                                                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ DOES NOT HOLD ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 10:42 -0600
                                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ DOES NOT HOLD ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 10:16 -0700
                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 21:23 -0700
                                                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 11:45 -0500
                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 10:22 -0700
                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 12:23 -0500
                                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 10:41 -0700
                                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 12:26 -0600
                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 13:54 -0500
                                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 13:26 -0600
                                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 14:44 -0500
                                                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 12:56 -0700
                                                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 15:09 -0600
                                                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 16:29 -0500
                                                                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 15:02 -0700
                                                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-07-21 21:08 -0700
                                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ global halt decider ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 12:55 -0700
                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 11:29 -0600
                                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 12:51 -0500
                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 12:19 -0600
                                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 13:49 -0500
                                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 13:22 -0600
                                                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 14:43 -0500
                                                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 13:12 -0700
                                                                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ][ADD] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 16:07 -0500
                                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ][ADD] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 14:32 -0700
                                                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ][ADD] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 16:50 -0500
                                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ][ADD] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 15:07 -0700
                                                                        Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 15:06 -0600
                                                                          Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 16:22 -0500
                                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 14:38 -0700
                                                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 15:57 -0600
                                                                              Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 17:21 -0500
                                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 15:53 -0700
                                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] André G. Isaak <agisaak@gm.invalid> - 2021-07-21 16:59 -0600
                                                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 20:21 -0500
                                                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 18:53 -0700
                                                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 13:07 -0700
                                                                  Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-21 15:29 -0500
                                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) [ Paradox rather than contradiction ] Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-21 14:08 -0700
                                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 19:33 -0700
                                            Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 18:07 -0700
                                      Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 12:14 -0700
                                    Re: Halting Problem Solved? ( H(P,P)==0 is correct ) Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 12:06 -0700
                                Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-07-20 10:39 -0700
            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk> - 2021-07-17 15:55 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 09:18 -0500
          Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 15:20 +0100
            Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 olcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com> - 2021-07-17 11:13 -0500
    Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-17 06:57 -0700
      Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> - 2021-07-17 15:17 +0100
        Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2 wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> - 2021-07-17 07:36 -0700

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#36507 — Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 13:50 +0100
SubjectHalting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) V2
Message-ID<20210717135003.00000fdc@reddwarf.jmc>
If it is impossible for a decider to be referenced by a pathological
program for the purposes of defeating the decider (see Strachey [1965])
then the all currently extant proofs which rely on the Strachey
contradiction become invalid.

I have a theoretical design for such a decider which I am calling a
black box decider as its internal mechanism of operation is unknown to
that which is being decided; this does rely on simulating the candidate
(program + input) which means the decision will be returned in FINITE
time (even if this time exceeds the age of the universe in duration)
rather than being UNDECIDABLE.

Method:

1) A trusted operator creates a digital signature, S, by digitally
signing the candidate program, P and its input, I.
2) Operator runs the black box decider, D, passing it P, I, and
and S.
3) If S is invalid (i.e. isn't signed by a trusted operator) D will
abort due to P being pathological (i.e. it is attempting to defeat D by
referencing D).
4) If the candidate digital signature is valid the decider simulates
the P+I to determine if P halts or not (how long this takes
depends on the complexity of the simulator and the candidate so this may
take a very long (but FINITE) time).

D will then return one of THREE results to the operator:

a) P halts;
b) P does not halt;
c) P is invalid (attempted to defeat the decider).

Obviously this solution depends on the strength of the digital
signature encryption being such that breaking it would exceed the
time used to reach a decision for P.

Halting Problem solved? Debatable. Currently extant proofs valid? Not
so much.

/Flibble

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#36508

FromAlan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Date2021-07-17 13:22 +0000
Message-ID<sculjg$1q6c$6@news.muc.de>
In reply to#36507
Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> If it is impossible for a decider to be referenced by a pathological
> program for the purposes of defeating the decider (see Strachey [1965])
> then the all currently extant proofs which rely on the Strachey
> contradiction become invalid.

There is no such thing as a "pathological program" in this sense.  Every
program either terminates or does not terminate.

The only thing you could designate as "pathological" would be the
relationship between the program and your black box, not the program
itself.

> I have a theoretical design for such a decider which I am calling a
> black box decider as its internal mechanism of operation is unknown to
> that which is being decided; this does rely on simulating the candidate
> (program + input) which means the decision will be returned in FINITE
> time (even if this time exceeds the age of the universe in duration)
> rather than being UNDECIDABLE.

The black-box approach won't help you.  The theorem rules out a
_universal_ halt decider, that means a decider which decides _any_
program.  There will be programs which confound your black box, despite
your attempts to make it difficult to construct these - they still
exist.  And for those programs, your black box will return the wrong
result.

> Method:

> 1) A trusted operator creates a digital signature, S, by digitally
> signing the candidate program, P and its input, I.
> 2) Operator runs the black box decider, D, passing it P, I, and
> and S.
> 3) If S is invalid (i.e. isn't signed by a trusted operator) D will
> abort due to P being pathological (i.e. it is attempting to defeat D by
> referencing D).
> 4) If the candidate digital signature is valid the decider simulates
> the P+I to determine if P halts or not (how long this takes
> depends on the complexity of the simulator and the candidate so this may
> take a very long (but FINITE) time).

> D will then return one of THREE results to the operator:

> a) P halts;
> b) P does not halt;
> c) P is invalid (attempted to defeat the decider).

So, D isn't a halt decider, because there are programs for which it
fails to return the correct yes/no result.  Note, again, that in case
c), there is nothing invalid about the program itself; it will run and
either halt or not halt.  It is the relationship between P and D that
you are calling "invalid".  I would go further and say that it is D
which is invalid, since it cannot perform its purported function.

> Obviously this solution depends on the strength of the digital
> signature encryption being such that breaking it would exceed the
> time used to reach a decision for P.

Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by design.
And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything to prevent the
existence of the programs which have an "invalid relationship" with D.

> Halting Problem solved? Debatable.

Not really.  You should really get into a proof of the halting problem
theorem and _understand_ it.

> Currently extant proofs valid? Not so much.

These proofs remain totally valid.  Since they do not depend on the
internal workings of the purported decider, no amount of cleverness and
deviousness in this area is going to make the slightest difference.
This is what is so baffling Olcott, due to his inability to understand
the concept of a proof.

You are a computer science graduate, right?  Surely, unlike Olcott, you
do understand the concept of a proof, and that the halting problem
theorem is proven?

> /Flibble

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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#36510

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 14:37 +0100
Message-ID<20210717143722.00007f34@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36508
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything to
> prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
> relationship" with D.

The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by the
black box decider. This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs
which are deliberately designed to defeat the decider which are
uninteresting cases because presumably we are using a decider to decide
legitimate programs that have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.

/Flibble

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#36514

FromAlan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Date2021-07-17 13:59 +0000
Message-ID<scunn6$1q6c$7@news.muc.de>
In reply to#36510
Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
>> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
>> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything to
>> prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
>> relationship" with D.

> The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by the
> black box decider.

I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be detected,
that it's another one of these limitation theorems.  Ben could probably
say more on this.

> This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
> deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....

Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately designed,
which will also have such a relationship with the purported decider.

> .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are using a
> decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve some useful
> purpose beyond the HP itself.

Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.  That shows
the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY program.  If you
limit the scope of the programs handled, then you might well construct a
practically useful partial decider.  Difficult, but possible.  There are
probably theorems about the sort of things that are possible here, but I
don't know them.

None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the halting problem
result itself.

> /Flibble

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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#36515

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 15:06 +0100
Message-ID<20210717150602.00003bc6@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36514
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  
> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
> >> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything to
> >> prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
> >> relationship" with D.  
> 
> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by the
> > black box decider.  
> 
> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be detected,
> that it's another one of these limitation theorems.  Ben could
> probably say more on this.
> 
> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....  
> 
> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately designed,
> which will also have such a relationship with the purported decider.
> 
> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are using a
> > decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve some useful
> > purpose beyond the HP itself.  
> 
> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.  That
> shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY program.
> If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then you might well
> construct a practically useful partial decider.  Difficult, but
> possible.  There are probably theorems about the sort of things that
> are possible here, but I don't know them.
> 
> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the halting
> problem result itself.

Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite time.

/Flibble

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#36516

Fromolcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com>
Date2021-07-17 09:17 -0500
Message-ID<R56dnVROjoDwe2_9nZ2dnUU7-X_NnZ2d@giganews.com>
In reply to#36515
On 7/17/2021 9:06 AM, Mr Flibble wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
> 
>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>>> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
>>> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
>>>> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
>>>> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything to
>>>> prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
>>>> relationship" with D.
>>
>>> The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by the
>>> black box decider.
>>
>> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be detected,
>> that it's another one of these limitation theorems.  Ben could
>> probably say more on this.
>>
>>> This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
>>> deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....
>>
>> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately designed,
>> which will also have such a relationship with the purported decider.
>>
>>> .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are using a
>>> decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve some useful
>>> purpose beyond the HP itself.
>>
>> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.  That
>> shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY program.
>> If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then you might well
>> construct a practically useful partial decider.  Difficult, but
>> possible.  There are probably theorems about the sort of things that
>> are possible here, but I don't know them.
>>
>> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the halting
>> problem result itself.
> 
> Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
> whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite time.
> 
> /Flibble
> 

This was my idea 17 years ago.

On Sunday, September 5, 2004 at 11:21:57 AM UTC-5, Peter Olcott wrote:
 > The Liar Paradox can be shown to be nothing more than
 > a incorrectly formed statement because of its pathological
 > self-reference. The Halting Problem can only exist because
 > of this same sort of pathological self-reference.
 >
 > The primary benefit of solving the Halting Problem was to
 > detect programs that failed to halt, thus were incorrect.
 > Pathological self-reference can also be viewed as a form
 > of error. If the Halting Problem is redefined (which does not
 > refute anyone), then this redefined problem can be easily
 > solved.
 >
 > Now we have three possible correct results:
 > (a) Halts
 > (b) Does Not Halt
 > (c) Pathological Self Reference to Halt
 >
 > Compared to my prior claims, this one seem trivial and
 > obvious. Possibly this claim adds a slight nuance to the
 > problem that has not been widely discussed before.
 > If we construe pathological self-reference as another
 > error condition, then this does remove the impossibility
 > of creating a useful tool.

-- 
Copyright 2021 Pete Olcott

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre 
minds." Einstein

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#36520

FromAlan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Date2021-07-17 14:20 +0000
Message-ID<scuovq$1q6c$8@news.muc.de>
In reply to#36515
Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
>> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  
>> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
>> >> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything to
>> >> prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
>> >> relationship" with D.  

>> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by the
>> > black box decider.  

>> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be detected,
>> that it's another one of these limitation theorems.  Ben could
>> probably say more on this.

>> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
>> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....  

>> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately designed,
>> which will also have such a relationship with the purported decider.

>> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are using a
>> > decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve some useful
>> > purpose beyond the HP itself.  

>> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.  That
>> shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY program.
>> If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then you might well
>> construct a practically useful partial decider.  Difficult, but
>> possible.  There are probably theorems about the sort of things that
>> are possible here, but I don't know them.

>> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the halting
>> problem result itself.

> Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
> whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite time.

Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or pathological about
these programs, and they can run and halt or not halt like any other
program.  It is only in their relationship with H where they are special,
in that H is unable to determine their halting status correctly.

That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such programs.  I don't
know if this is possible in the general case, but I suspect it's not.
Again, Ben or Richard might know more about this.

But all this is moving away from the halting problem.

> /Flibble

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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#36521

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 15:24 +0100
Message-ID<20210717152448.00006958@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36520
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  
> 
> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:  
> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:    
> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
> >> >> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything
> >> >> to prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
> >> >> relationship" with D.    
> 
> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by
> >> > the black box decider.    
> 
> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.  Ben
> >> could probably say more on this.  
> 
> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
> >> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....    
> 
> >> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
> >> purported decider.  
> 
> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are
> >> > using a decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve
> >> > some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.    
> 
> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.  That
> >> shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY program.
> >> If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then you might well
> >> construct a practically useful partial decider.  Difficult, but
> >> possible.  There are probably theorems about the sort of things
> >> that are possible here, but I don't know them.  
> 
> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the halting
> >> problem result itself.  
> 
> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
> > whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite
> > time.  
> 
> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or pathological
> about these programs, and they can run and halt or not halt like any
> other program.  It is only in their relationship with H where they
> are special, in that H is unable to determine their halting status
> correctly.
> 
> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such programs.  I
> don't know if this is possible in the general case, but I suspect
> it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know more about this.
> 
> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.

Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect when it
is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator or indirectly
by P which does not have the trusted operator's private key in order to
digitally sign P and I that is passed to the decider.

/Flibble

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#36523

FromAlan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Date2021-07-17 14:34 +0000
Message-ID<scupqd$1q6c$9@news.muc.de>
In reply to#36521
Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
>> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  

>> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:  
>> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
>> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:    
>> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here by
>> >> >> design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do anything
>> >> >> to prevent the existence of the programs which have an "invalid
>> >> >> relationship" with D.    

>> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by
>> >> > the black box decider.    

>> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
>> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.  Ben
>> >> could probably say more on this.  

>> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
>> >> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....    

>> >> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
>> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
>> >> purported decider.  

>> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are
>> >> > using a decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve
>> >> > some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.    

>> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.  That
>> >> shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY program.
>> >> If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then you might well
>> >> construct a practically useful partial decider.  Difficult, but
>> >> possible.  There are probably theorems about the sort of things
>> >> that are possible here, but I don't know them.  

>> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the halting
>> >> problem result itself.  

>> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
>> > whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite
>> > time.  

>> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or pathological
>> about these programs, and they can run and halt or not halt like any
>> other program.  It is only in their relationship with H where they
>> are special, in that H is unable to determine their halting status
>> correctly.

>> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such programs.  I
>> don't know if this is possible in the general case, but I suspect
>> it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know more about this.

>> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.

> Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect when it
> is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator or indirectly
> by P which does not have the trusted operator's private key in order to
> digitally sign P and I that is passed to the decider.

P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key stuff),
and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.  Such programs
_exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them.  As I say, I
don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm which does the
same as D.

But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting detector, in
that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all input programs.

> /Flibble

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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#36527

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 15:38 +0100
Message-ID<20210717153827.00006057@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36523
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  
> 
> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:  
> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:    
> 
> >> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:    
> >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
> >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:      
> >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here
> >> >> >> by design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do
> >> >> >> anything to prevent the existence of the programs which have
> >> >> >> an "invalid relationship" with D.      
> 
> >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by
> >> >> > the black box decider.      
> 
> >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
> >> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.
> >> >> Ben could probably say more on this.    
> 
> >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
> >> >> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....      
> 
> >> >> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
> >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
> >> >> purported decider.    
> 
> >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are
> >> >> > using a decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve
> >> >> > some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.      
> 
> >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.
> >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY
> >> >> program. If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then
> >> >> you might well construct a practically useful partial decider.
> >> >> Difficult, but possible.  There are probably theorems about the
> >> >> sort of things that are possible here, but I don't know them.
> >> >>  
> 
> >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the
> >> >> halting problem result itself.    
> 
> >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
> >> > whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite
> >> > time.    
> 
> >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or pathological
> >> about these programs, and they can run and halt or not halt like
> >> any other program.  It is only in their relationship with H where
> >> they are special, in that H is unable to determine their halting
> >> status correctly.  
> 
> >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such programs.  I
> >> don't know if this is possible in the general case, but I suspect
> >> it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know more about this.  
> 
> >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.  
> 
> > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect
> > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator
> > or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted operator's
> > private key in order to digitally sign P and I that is passed to
> > the decider.  
> 
> P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key
> stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.  Such
> programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them.  As
> I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm which
> does the same as D.
> 
> But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting detector, in
> that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all input programs.

I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black
box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box

/Flibble

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#36529

FromAlan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Date2021-07-17 14:45 +0000
Message-ID<scuqe7$1q6c$11@news.muc.de>
In reply to#36527
Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
>> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  

>> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:  
>> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
>> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:    

>> >> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:    
>> >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
>> >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:      
>> >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here
>> >> >> >> by design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do
>> >> >> >> anything to prevent the existence of the programs which have
>> >> >> >> an "invalid relationship" with D.      

>> >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by
>> >> >> > the black box decider.      

>> >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
>> >> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.
>> >> >> Ben could probably say more on this.    

>> >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are
>> >> >> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....      

>> >> >> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
>> >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
>> >> >> purported decider.    

>> >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are
>> >> >> > using a decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve
>> >> >> > some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.      

>> >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.
>> >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY
>> >> >> program. If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then
>> >> >> you might well construct a practically useful partial decider.
>> >> >> Difficult, but possible.  There are probably theorems about the
>> >> >> sort of things that are possible here, but I don't know them.


>> >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the
>> >> >> halting problem result itself.    

>> >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs
>> >> > whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite
>> >> > time.    

>> >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or pathological
>> >> about these programs, and they can run and halt or not halt like
>> >> any other program.  It is only in their relationship with H where
>> >> they are special, in that H is unable to determine their halting
>> >> status correctly.  

>> >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such programs.  I
>> >> don't know if this is possible in the general case, but I suspect
>> >> it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know more about this.  

>> >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.  

>> > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect
>> > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator
>> > or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted operator's
>> > private key in order to digitally sign P and I that is passed to
>> > the decider.  

>> P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key
>> stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.  Such
>> programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them.  As
>> I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm which
>> does the same as D.

>> But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting detector, in
>> that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all input programs.

> I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black
> box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box.

OK, then black boxes are, at this level of theory, not possible objects.
Note I didn't say "has been copied", but "contains a copy", i.e. just
randomly happens to match up.  Such randomly matching programs exist.

> /Flibble

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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#36531

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 15:53 +0100
Message-ID<20210717155335.000025ff@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36529
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:45:27 -0000 (UTC)
Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  
> 
> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:  
> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:    
> 
> >> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:    
> >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
> >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:      
> 
> >> >> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:      
> >> >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
> >> >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:        
> >> >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider
> >> >> >> >> here by design. And even if you did, the signature
> >> >> >> >> wouldn't do anything to prevent the existence of the
> >> >> >> >> programs which have an "invalid relationship" with D.
> >> >> >> >>    
> 
> >> >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is
> >> >> >> > DETECTABLE by the black box decider.        
> 
> >> >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
> >> >> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.
> >> >> >> Ben could probably say more on this.      
> 
> >> >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which
> >> >> >> > are deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....
> >> >> >> >  
> 
> >> >> >> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
> >> >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
> >> >> >> purported decider.      
> 
> >> >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we
> >> >> >> > are using a decider to decide legitimate programs that
> >> >> >> > have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.
> >> >> >> >  
> 
> >> >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.
> >> >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide
> >> >> >> ANY program. If you limit the scope of the programs handled,
> >> >> >> then you might well construct a practically useful partial
> >> >> >> decider. Difficult, but possible.  There are probably
> >> >> >> theorems about the sort of things that are possible here,
> >> >> >> but I don't know them.  
> 
> 
> >> >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the
> >> >> >> halting problem result itself.      
> 
> >> >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological
> >> >> > programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision
> >> >> > reached in finite time.      
> 
> >> >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or
> >> >> pathological about these programs, and they can run and halt or
> >> >> not halt like any other program.  It is only in their
> >> >> relationship with H where they are special, in that H is unable
> >> >> to determine their halting status correctly.    
> 
> >> >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such
> >> >> programs.  I don't know if this is possible in the general
> >> >> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know
> >> >> more about this.    
> 
> >> >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.    
> 
> >> > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect
> >> > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator
> >> > or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted operator's
> >> > private key in order to digitally sign P and I that is passed to
> >> > the decider.    
> 
> >> P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key
> >> stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.  Such
> >> programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them.
> >> As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm
> >> which does the same as D.  
> 
> >> But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting
> >> detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all
> >> input programs.  
> 
> > I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black
> > box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box.  
> 
> OK, then black boxes are, at this level of theory, not possible
> objects. Note I didn't say "has been copied", but "contains a copy",
> i.e. just randomly happens to match up.  Such randomly matching
> programs exist.

That assumes that the black box decider cannot detect when P and I are
being passed to something equivalent to the black box; you know what
they say about assumptions, right? The black box decider could
certainly detect if P and I are being passed to something opaque
and treat that as pathological behavior.

/Flibble

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#36535

FromAlan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Date2021-07-17 15:12 +0000
Message-ID<scus0q$1q6c$12@news.muc.de>
In reply to#36531
Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:45:27 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:

>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
>> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:  

>> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:  
>> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
>> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:    

>> >> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:    
>> >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
>> >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:      

>> >> >> >> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:      
>> >> >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
>> >> >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:        
>> >> >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider
>> >> >> >> >> here by design. And even if you did, the signature
>> >> >> >> >> wouldn't do anything to prevent the existence of the
>> >> >> >> >> programs which have an "invalid relationship" with D.


>> >> >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is
>> >> >> >> > DETECTABLE by the black box decider.        

>> >> >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
>> >> >> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.
>> >> >> >> Ben could probably say more on this.      

>> >> >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which
>> >> >> >> > are deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....


>> >> >> >> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
>> >> >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
>> >> >> >> purported decider.      

>> >> >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we
>> >> >> >> > are using a decider to decide legitimate programs that
>> >> >> >> > have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.


>> >> >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.
>> >> >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide
>> >> >> >> ANY program. If you limit the scope of the programs handled,
>> >> >> >> then you might well construct a practically useful partial
>> >> >> >> decider. Difficult, but possible.  There are probably
>> >> >> >> theorems about the sort of things that are possible here,
>> >> >> >> but I don't know them.  


>> >> >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the
>> >> >> >> halting problem result itself.      

>> >> >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological
>> >> >> > programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision
>> >> >> > reached in finite time.      

>> >> >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or
>> >> >> pathological about these programs, and they can run and halt or
>> >> >> not halt like any other program.  It is only in their
>> >> >> relationship with H where they are special, in that H is unable
>> >> >> to determine their halting status correctly.    

>> >> >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such
>> >> >> programs.  I don't know if this is possible in the general
>> >> >> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know
>> >> >> more about this.    

>> >> >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.    

>> >> > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect
>> >> > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator
>> >> > or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted operator's
>> >> > private key in order to digitally sign P and I that is passed to
>> >> > the decider.    

>> >> P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key
>> >> stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.  Such
>> >> programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them.
>> >> As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm
>> >> which does the same as D.  

>> >> But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting
>> >> detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all
>> >> input programs.  

>> > I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black
>> > box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box.  

>> OK, then black boxes are, at this level of theory, not possible
>> objects. Note I didn't say "has been copied", but "contains a copy",
>> i.e. just randomly happens to match up.  Such randomly matching
>> programs exist.

> That assumes that the black box decider cannot detect when P and I are
> being passed to something equivalent to the black box;

Again, I'm beyond the limits of my knowledge, but I think it's a theorem
that it is not possible to determine in general that two turing machines
have the same functionality.  In that case, the black box decider could
not recognise something which happens to be a copy of its essentials.

> you know what they say about assumptions, right?

Indeed.  You've been doing a fair amount of it yourself in constructing
this black box idea.  ;-)

> The black box decider could certainly detect if P and I are being
> passed to something opaque and treat that as pathological behavior.

It's not certain at all.  See above.

> /Flibble

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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#36553 — Re: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) [ Rice's Theorem ]

Fromolcott <NoOne@NoWhere.com>
Date2021-07-17 11:53 -0500
SubjectRe: Halting Problem Solved? (Black Box Decider Theory) [ Rice's Theorem ]
Message-ID<N6ydnWAjqIuIlm79nZ2dnUU7-d-dnZ2d@giganews.com>
In reply to#36535
On 7/17/2021 10:12 AM, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:45:27 -0000 (UTC)
>> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
> 
>>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>>>> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
>>>> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
> 
>>>>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>>>>>> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC)
>>>>>> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
> 
>>>>>>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC)
>>>>>>>> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
> 
>>>>>>>>> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC)
>>>>>>>>>> Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider
>>>>>>>>>>> here by design. And even if you did, the signature
>>>>>>>>>>> wouldn't do anything to prevent the existence of the
>>>>>>>>>>> programs which have an "invalid relationship" with D.
> 
> 
>>>>>>>>>> The point is that this "invalid relationship" is
>>>>>>>>>> DETECTABLE by the black box decider.
> 
>>>>>>>>> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be
>>>>>>>>> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems.
>>>>>>>>> Ben could probably say more on this.
> 
>>>>>>>>>> This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which
>>>>>>>>>> are deliberately designed to defeat the decider ....
> 
> 
>>>>>>>>> Not at all.  There will be random programs, not deliberately
>>>>>>>>> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the
>>>>>>>>> purported decider.
> 
>>>>>>>>>> .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we
>>>>>>>>>> are using a decider to decide legitimate programs that
>>>>>>>>>> have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.
> 
> 
>>>>>>>>> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem.
>>>>>>>>> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide
>>>>>>>>> ANY program. If you limit the scope of the programs handled,
>>>>>>>>> then you might well construct a practically useful partial
>>>>>>>>> decider. Difficult, but possible.  There are probably
>>>>>>>>> theorems about the sort of things that are possible here,
>>>>>>>>> but I don't know them.
> 
> 
>>>>>>>>> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the
>>>>>>>>> halting problem result itself.
> 
>>>>>>>> Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological
>>>>>>>> programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision
>>>>>>>> reached in finite time.
> 
>>>>>>> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or
>>>>>>> pathological about these programs, and they can run and halt or
>>>>>>> not halt like any other program.  It is only in their
>>>>>>> relationship with H where they are special, in that H is unable
>>>>>>> to determine their halting status correctly.
> 
>>>>>>> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such
>>>>>>> programs.  I don't know if this is possible in the general
>>>>>>> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know
>>>>>>> more about this.
> 
>>>>>>> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.
> 
>>>>>> Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect
>>>>>> when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator
>>>>>> or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted operator's
>>>>>> private key in order to digitally sign P and I that is passed to
>>>>>> the decider.
> 
>>>>> P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key
>>>>> stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.  Such
>>>>> programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them.
>>>>> As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm
>>>>> which does the same as D.
> 
>>>>> But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting
>>>>> detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all
>>>>> input programs.
> 
>>>> I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black
>>>> box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box.
> 
>>> OK, then black boxes are, at this level of theory, not possible
>>> objects. Note I didn't say "has been copied", but "contains a copy",
>>> i.e. just randomly happens to match up.  Such randomly matching
>>> programs exist.
> 
>> That assumes that the black box decider cannot detect when P and I are
>> being passed to something equivalent to the black box;
> 
> Again, I'm beyond the limits of my knowledge, but I think it's a theorem
> that it is not possible to determine in general that two turing machines
> have the same functionality.  

In computability theory, Rice's theorem states that all non-trivial, 
semantic properties of programs are undecidable. A semantic property is 
one about the program's behavior (for instance, does the program 
terminate for all inputs), unlike a syntactic property (for instance, 
does the program contain an if-then-else statement).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice%27s_theorem


> In that case, the black box decider could
> not recognise something which happens to be a copy of its essentials.
> 
>> you know what they say about assumptions, right?
> 
> Indeed.  You've been doing a fair amount of it yourself in constructing
> this black box idea.  ;-)
> 
>> The black box decider could certainly detect if P and I are being
>> passed to something opaque and treat that as pathological behavior.
> 
> It's not certain at all.  See above.
> 
>> /Flibble
> 


-- 
Copyright 2021 Pete Olcott

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre 
minds." Einstein

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#36562

FromBen Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Date2021-07-17 20:38 +0100
Message-ID<87zgukn335.fsf@bsb.me.uk>
In reply to#36535
Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> writes:

> Mr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:

>> That assumes that the black box decider cannot detect when P and I are
>> being passed to something equivalent to the black box;
>
> Again, I'm beyond the limits of my knowledge, but I think it's a theorem
> that it is not possible to determine in general that two turing machines
> have the same functionality.

Indeed there is.

> In that case, the black box decider could
> not recognise something which happens to be a copy of its essentials.

No algorithm can tell if the input includes (in whole or in part) a
program functionally equivalent to itself.

A decider could be written to detect the exact "hat" construction that
is used in one or other proof.  It could even detect an infinite number
of variations of that pattern, but it can't detect them all.

It would be very hard to do in practice because there is a sort of quine
involved here, but I'm pretty sure it's possible for at least an
infinite number of such patterns.  But that's not nearly enough.

-- 
Ben.

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#36533

Fromwij <wyniijj@gmail.com>
Date2021-07-17 08:04 -0700
Message-ID<dd09ea79-1e68-476a-8bf0-407341d5bd56n@googlegroups.com>
In reply to#36527
On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 22:38:30 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
> Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> 
> > Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > 
> > >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC) 
> > >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > 
> > >> >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC) 
> > >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider here 
> > >> >> >> by design. And even if you did, the signature wouldn't do 
> > >> >> >> anything to prevent the existence of the programs which have 
> > >> >> >> an "invalid relationship" with D. 
> > 
> > >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is DETECTABLE by 
> > >> >> > the black box decider. 
> > 
> > >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot be 
> > >> >> detected, that it's another one of these limitation theorems. 
> > >> >> Ben could probably say more on this. 
> > 
> > >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs which are 
> > >> >> > deliberately designed to defeat the decider .... 
> > 
> > >> >> Not at all. There will be random programs, not deliberately 
> > >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the 
> > >> >> purported decider. 
> > 
> > >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we are 
> > >> >> > using a decider to decide legitimate programs that have serve 
> > >> >> > some useful purpose beyond the HP itself. 
> > 
> > >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem. 
> > >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide ANY 
> > >> >> program. If you limit the scope of the programs handled, then 
> > >> >> you might well construct a practically useful partial decider. 
> > >> >> Difficult, but possible. There are probably theorems about the 
> > >> >> sort of things that are possible here, but I don't know them. 
> > >> >> 
> > 
> > >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the 
> > >> >> halting problem result itself. 
> > 
> > >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological programs 
> > >> > whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision reached in finite 
> > >> > time. 
> > 
> > >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or pathological 
> > >> about these programs, and they can run and halt or not halt like 
> > >> any other program. It is only in their relationship with H where 
> > >> they are special, in that H is unable to determine their halting 
> > >> status correctly. 
> > 
> > >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such programs. I 
> > >> don't know if this is possible in the general case, but I suspect 
> > >> it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know more about this. 
> > 
> > >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem. 
> > 
> > > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect 
> > > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted operator 
> > > or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted operator's 
> > > private key in order to digitally sign P and I that is passed to 
> > > the decider. 
> > 
> > P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key 
> > stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key. Such 
> > programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create them. As 
> > I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an algorithm which 
> > does the same as D. 
> > 
> > But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting detector, in 
> > that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all input programs.
> I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black 
> box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box. 
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box 
> 
> /Flibble

Quote carefully, kid. You do not seem to read it.
...a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics),...

This is illustrated in Example 2
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns

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#36536

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 16:12 +0100
Message-ID<20210717161250.00006fab@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36533
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:04:56 -0700 (PDT)
wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 22:38:30 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote:
> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC)
> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> >   
> > > Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:   
> > > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote:   
> > >   
> > > >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:   
> > > >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote:   
> > >   
> > > >> >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:   
> > > >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote:   
> > > >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider
> > > >> >> >> here by design. And even if you did, the signature
> > > >> >> >> wouldn't do anything to prevent the existence of the
> > > >> >> >> programs which have an "invalid relationship" with D.   
> > >   
> > > >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is
> > > >> >> > DETECTABLE by the black box decider.   
> > >   
> > > >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot
> > > >> >> be detected, that it's another one of these limitation
> > > >> >> theorems. Ben could probably say more on this.   
> > >   
> > > >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs
> > > >> >> > which are deliberately designed to defeat the decider
> > > >> >> > ....   
> > >   
> > > >> >> Not at all. There will be random programs, not deliberately 
> > > >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the 
> > > >> >> purported decider.   
> > >   
> > > >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we
> > > >> >> > are using a decider to decide legitimate programs that
> > > >> >> > have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP itself.   
> > >   
> > > >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem. 
> > > >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide
> > > >> >> ANY program. If you limit the scope of the programs
> > > >> >> handled, then you might well construct a practically useful
> > > >> >> partial decider. Difficult, but possible. There are
> > > >> >> probably theorems about the sort of things that are
> > > >> >> possible here, but I don't know them. 
> > >   
> > > >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the 
> > > >> >> halting problem result itself.   
> > >   
> > > >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological
> > > >> > programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision
> > > >> > reached in finite time.   
> > >   
> > > >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or
> > > >> pathological about these programs, and they can run and halt
> > > >> or not halt like any other program. It is only in their
> > > >> relationship with H where they are special, in that H is
> > > >> unable to determine their halting status correctly.   
> > >   
> > > >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such
> > > >> programs. I don't know if this is possible in the general
> > > >> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know
> > > >> more about this.   
> > >   
> > > >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.   
> > >   
> > > > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect 
> > > > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted
> > > > operator or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted
> > > > operator's private key in order to digitally sign P and I that
> > > > is passed to the decider.   
> > > 
> > > P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key 
> > > stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key.
> > > Such programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create
> > > them. As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an
> > > algorithm which does the same as D. 
> > > 
> > > But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting
> > > detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all
> > > input programs.  
> > I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black 
> > box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box. 
> > 
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box 
> > 
> > /Flibble  
> 
> Quote carefully, kid. You do not seem to read it.
> ...a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs
> and outputs (or transfer characteristics),...
> 
> This is illustrated in Example 2
> https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns

What you quoted does NOT contradict what I said. If you don't have
anything of value to add to the discussion then it is best to just keep
your fucking mouth shut.

/Flibble

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#36538

Fromwij <wyniijj@gmail.com>
Date2021-07-17 08:25 -0700
Message-ID<96f2ae27-54db-47c9-8401-3cf6efa4d121n@googlegroups.com>
In reply to#36536
On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 23:12:51 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:04:56 -0700 (PDT) 
> wij <wyn...@gmail.com> wrote: 
> 
> > On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 22:38:30 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote: 
> > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > 
> > > > Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > 
> > > > >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > > >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > > >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting decider 
> > > > >> >> >> here by design. And even if you did, the signature 
> > > > >> >> >> wouldn't do anything to prevent the existence of the 
> > > > >> >> >> programs which have an "invalid relationship" with D. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is 
> > > > >> >> > DETECTABLE by the black box decider. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships cannot 
> > > > >> >> be detected, that it's another one of these limitation 
> > > > >> >> theorems. Ben could probably say more on this. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs 
> > > > >> >> > which are deliberately designed to defeat the decider 
> > > > >> >> > .... 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> Not at all. There will be random programs, not deliberately 
> > > > >> >> designed, which will also have such a relationship with the 
> > > > >> >> purported decider. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably we 
> > > > >> >> > are using a decider to decide legitimate programs that 
> > > > >> >> > have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP itself. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting problem. 
> > > > >> >> That shows the impossibility of a decider which can decide 
> > > > >> >> ANY program. If you limit the scope of the programs 
> > > > >> >> handled, then you might well construct a practically useful 
> > > > >> >> partial decider. Difficult, but possible. There are 
> > > > >> >> probably theorems about the sort of things that are 
> > > > >> >> possible here, but I don't know them. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of the 
> > > > >> >> halting problem result itself. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological 
> > > > >> > programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision 
> > > > >> > reached in finite time. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or 
> > > > >> pathological about these programs, and they can run and halt 
> > > > >> or not halt like any other program. It is only in their 
> > > > >> relationship with H where they are special, in that H is 
> > > > >> unable to determine their halting status correctly. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such 
> > > > >> programs. I don't know if this is possible in the general 
> > > > >> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might know 
> > > > >> more about this. 
> > > > 
> > > > >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem. 
> > > > 
> > > > > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always detect 
> > > > > when it is being invoked, either directly by the trusted 
> > > > > operator or indirectly by P which does not have the trusted 
> > > > > operator's private key in order to digitally sign P and I that 
> > > > > is passed to the decider. 
> > > > 
> > > > P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the key 
> > > > stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private key. 
> > > > Such programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans create 
> > > > them. As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to detect an 
> > > > algorithm which does the same as D. 
> > > > 
> > > > But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting 
> > > > detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for all 
> > > > input programs. 
> > > I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the black 
> > > box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a black box. 
> > > 
> > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box 
> > > 
> > > /Flibble 
> > 
> > Quote carefully, kid. You do not seem to read it. 
> > ...a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs 
> > and outputs (or transfer characteristics),... 
> > 
> > This is illustrated in Example 2 
> > https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns
> What you quoted does NOT contradict what I said. If you don't have 
> anything of value to add to the discussion then it is best to just keep 
> your fucking mouth shut. 
> 
> /Flibble

Feel losed? Be happy.

A black box program can be copied, reused by invoking...etc.

This is illustrated in Example 2 (do not feel shy)
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns

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#36539

FromMr Flibble <flibble@reddwarf.jmc>
Date2021-07-17 16:28 +0100
Message-ID<20210717162805.000040d0@reddwarf.jmc>
In reply to#36538
On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:25:12 -0700 (PDT)
wij <wyniijj@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 23:12:51 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote:
> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:04:56 -0700 (PDT) 
> > wij <wyn...@gmail.com> wrote: 
> >   
> > > On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 22:38:30 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote:   
> > > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > >   
> > > > > Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:   
> > > > > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote:   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:   
> > > > > >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote:   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote:   
> > > > > >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote:   
> > > > > >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting
> > > > > >> >> >> decider here by design. And even if you did, the
> > > > > >> >> >> signature wouldn't do anything to prevent the
> > > > > >> >> >> existence of the programs which have an "invalid
> > > > > >> >> >> relationship" with D.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is 
> > > > > >> >> > DETECTABLE by the black box decider.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships
> > > > > >> >> cannot be detected, that it's another one of these
> > > > > >> >> limitation theorems. Ben could probably say more on
> > > > > >> >> this.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs 
> > > > > >> >> > which are deliberately designed to defeat the decider 
> > > > > >> >> > ....   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> Not at all. There will be random programs, not
> > > > > >> >> deliberately designed, which will also have such a
> > > > > >> >> relationship with the purported decider.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably
> > > > > >> >> > we are using a decider to decide legitimate programs
> > > > > >> >> > that have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP
> > > > > >> >> > itself.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting
> > > > > >> >> problem. That shows the impossibility of a decider
> > > > > >> >> which can decide ANY program. If you limit the scope of
> > > > > >> >> the programs handled, then you might well construct a
> > > > > >> >> practically useful partial decider. Difficult, but
> > > > > >> >> possible. There are probably theorems about the sort of
> > > > > >> >> things that are possible here, but I don't know them.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of
> > > > > >> >> the halting problem result itself.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological 
> > > > > >> > programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision 
> > > > > >> > reached in finite time.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or 
> > > > > >> pathological about these programs, and they can run and
> > > > > >> halt or not halt like any other program. It is only in
> > > > > >> their relationship with H where they are special, in that
> > > > > >> H is unable to determine their halting status correctly.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such 
> > > > > >> programs. I don't know if this is possible in the general 
> > > > > >> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might
> > > > > >> know more about this.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem.   
> > > > >   
> > > > > > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always
> > > > > > detect when it is being invoked, either directly by the
> > > > > > trusted operator or indirectly by P which does not have the
> > > > > > trusted operator's private key in order to digitally sign P
> > > > > > and I that is passed to the decider.   
> > > > > 
> > > > > P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the
> > > > > key stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private
> > > > > key. Such programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans
> > > > > create them. As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to
> > > > > detect an algorithm which does the same as D. 
> > > > > 
> > > > > But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting 
> > > > > detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for
> > > > > all input programs.   
> > > > I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the
> > > > black box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a
> > > > black box. 
> > > > 
> > > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box 
> > > > 
> > > > /Flibble   
> > > 
> > > Quote carefully, kid. You do not seem to read it. 
> > > ...a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its
> > > inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics),... 
> > > 
> > > This is illustrated in Example 2 
> > > https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns  
> > What you quoted does NOT contradict what I said. If you don't have 
> > anything of value to add to the discussion then it is best to just
> > keep your fucking mouth shut. 
> > 
> > /Flibble  
> 
> Feel losed? Be happy.
> 
> A black box program can be copied, reused by invoking...etc.
> 
> This is illustrated in Example 2 (do not feel shy)
> https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns

Except you are ignoring the fact that a digital signature from a
trusted operator is one of the parameters to the black box so it cannot
be "re-used by invoking etc" unless you have the trusted operator's
private key. Again: best to keep your fucking mouth shut if you have
nothing of value to add, pal.

/Flibble

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#36541

Fromwij <wyniijj@gmail.com>
Date2021-07-17 08:37 -0700
Message-ID<2f41a1cd-a042-484e-a3d7-ad03d945e287n@googlegroups.com>
In reply to#36539
On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 23:28:06 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:25:12 -0700 (PDT)
> wij <wyn...@gmail.com> wrote: 
> 
> > On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 23:12:51 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote: 
> > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:04:56 -0700 (PDT) 
> > > wij <wyn...@gmail.com> wrote: 
> > > 
> > > > On Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 22:38:30 UTC+8, Mr Flibble wrote: 
> > > > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:34:53 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > > 
> > > > > > Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > > > > > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 14:20:42 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > > > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > > > > >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:59:02 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > > >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> Mr Flibble <fli...@reddwarf.jmc> wrote: 
> > > > > > >> >> > On Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:22:56 -0000 (UTC) 
> > > > > > >> >> > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> wrote: 
> > > > > > >> >> >> Not really - you don't have a universal halting 
> > > > > > >> >> >> decider here by design. And even if you did, the 
> > > > > > >> >> >> signature wouldn't do anything to prevent the 
> > > > > > >> >> >> existence of the programs which have an "invalid 
> > > > > > >> >> >> relationship" with D. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> > The point is that this "invalid relationship" is 
> > > > > > >> >> > DETECTABLE by the black box decider. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> I think, but I'm not sure, that such relationships 
> > > > > > >> >> cannot be detected, that it's another one of these 
> > > > > > >> >> limitation theorems. Ben could probably say more on 
> > > > > > >> >> this. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> > This "invalid relationship" only exists for programs 
> > > > > > >> >> > which are deliberately designed to defeat the decider 
> > > > > > >> >> > .... 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> Not at all. There will be random programs, not 
> > > > > > >> >> deliberately designed, which will also have such a 
> > > > > > >> >> relationship with the purported decider. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> > .... which are uninteresting cases because presumably 
> > > > > > >> >> > we are using a decider to decide legitimate programs 
> > > > > > >> >> > that have serve some useful purpose beyond the HP 
> > > > > > >> >> > itself. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> Then you're not talking about the standard halting 
> > > > > > >> >> problem. That shows the impossibility of a decider 
> > > > > > >> >> which can decide ANY program. If you limit the scope of 
> > > > > > >> >> the programs handled, then you might well construct a 
> > > > > > >> >> practically useful partial decider. Difficult, but 
> > > > > > >> >> possible. There are probably theorems about the sort of 
> > > > > > >> >> things that are possible here, but I don't know them. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> >> None of this has any relevance for the theoremhood of 
> > > > > > >> >> the halting problem result itself. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> > Disagree: having a third result for invalid pathological 
> > > > > > >> > programs whilst novel is still a result, i.e. a decision 
> > > > > > >> > reached in finite time. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> Let me stress again that there is nothing invalid or 
> > > > > > >> pathological about these programs, and they can run and 
> > > > > > >> halt or not halt like any other program. It is only in 
> > > > > > >> their relationship with H where they are special, in that 
> > > > > > >> H is unable to determine their halting status correctly. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> That's assuming it's possible for H to single out such 
> > > > > > >> programs. I don't know if this is possible in the general 
> > > > > > >> case, but I suspect it's not. Again, Ben or Richard might 
> > > > > > >> know more about this. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > >> But all this is moving away from the halting problem. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Disagree: as the decider is a black box if it can always 
> > > > > > > detect when it is being invoked, either directly by the 
> > > > > > > trusted operator or indirectly by P which does not have the 
> > > > > > > trusted operator's private key in order to digitally sign P 
> > > > > > > and I that is passed to the decider. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > P might contain a copy of D's algorithm (with or without the 
> > > > > > key stuff), and indeed P might contain a copy of the private 
> > > > > > key. Such programs _exist_, whether or not we could as humans 
> > > > > > create them. As I say, I don't think it's possible for D to 
> > > > > > detect an algorithm which does the same as D. 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > But in any case, D is not behaving as a universal halting 
> > > > > > detector, in that it doesn't return halts/doesn't halt for 
> > > > > > all input programs. 
> > > > > I suggest you read up on what constitutes a black box: if the 
> > > > > black box's algorithm has been copied then it is no longer a 
> > > > > black box. 
> > > > > 
> > > > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box 
> > > > > 
> > > > > /Flibble 
> > > > 
> > > > Quote carefully, kid. You do not seem to read it. 
> > > > ...a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its 
> > > > inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics),... 
> > > > 
> > > > This is illustrated in Example 2 
> > > > https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns 
> > > What you quoted does NOT contradict what I said. If you don't have 
> > > anything of value to add to the discussion then it is best to just 
> > > keep your fucking mouth shut. 
> > > 
> > > /Flibble 
> > 
> > Feel losed? Be happy. 
> > 
> > A black box program can be copied, reused by invoking...etc. 
> > 
> > This is illustrated in Example 2 (do not feel shy) 
> > https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns
> Except you are ignoring the fact that a digital signature from a 
> trusted operator is one of the parameters to the black box so it cannot 
> be "re-used by invoking etc" unless you have the trusted operator's 
> private key. Again: best to keep your fucking mouth shut if you have 
> nothing of value to add, pal. 
> 
> /Flibble

Halting problem H is supposed to be an utility program. It must be able to
be reused. Or it does not qualified as a HP.
No one need to see what H is inside:

This is illustrated in Example 2
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.theory/c/3yP71I5puns

Feel lost? Be happy.

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