Turing Machine: Difference between revisions
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The device does not necessarily have to be intentionally designed to compute or be a computer; if a device, piece of software or even an abstract concept meets the criteria it is considered a Turing machine. | The device does not necessarily have to be intentionally designed to compute or be a computer; if a device, piece of software or even an abstract concept meets the criteria it is considered a Turing machine. | ||
Even software that is only used as a teaching tool or exist only as a concept, not as an implementation (such as [[Donald Knuth|Donald Knuth's]] MMIX<ref name=MMIX> {{cite web | url=http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/mmix.html | |||
| title=Knuth: MMIX | author=Donald Knuth | accessdate=2007-11-10 }}</ref> can be considered "Turing complete," in a completely abstract sense. | |||
The name "Turing machine" and the concept known as "Turing completeness" are both derived from noted mathematician and computer scientist [[Alan Turing]]. | |||
==References== | |||
<references /> | |||
Revision as of 20:58, 10 November 2007
A Turing Machine is known in the computing field as a machine that qualifies as a computer under a specific set of conditions. Devices can be considered "Turing complete" if they fill these criteria.
The device does not necessarily have to be intentionally designed to compute or be a computer; if a device, piece of software or even an abstract concept meets the criteria it is considered a Turing machine.
Even software that is only used as a teaching tool or exist only as a concept, not as an implementation (such as Donald Knuth's MMIX[1] can be considered "Turing complete," in a completely abstract sense.
The name "Turing machine" and the concept known as "Turing completeness" are both derived from noted mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing.
References
- ↑ Donald Knuth. Knuth: MMIX. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.