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Turing machine

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Turing machine

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Also known as deterministic Turing machine

abstract computation model; mathematical model of computation that defines an abstract machine which manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules

AI overview

A Turing machine is a theoretical device that performs computations by reading and writing symbols on a strip of tape while following a set of rules—it's not a real physical machine, but rather a mathematical model that helps us understand how computation works. It matters because it provides a foundational framework for thinking about what problems can and cannot be solved by any computing device.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

A physical Turing machine model constructed by Mike Davey. A true Turing machine would need to be provided more memory (tape) if and when required; physical models can only have a finite amount.

A Turing machine is a mathematical model of computation describing an abstract machine that manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules. Despite the model's simplicity, it is capable of implementing any computer algorithm.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Turing machine” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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