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In computability theory, the halting problem is a decision problem which can be stated as follows:
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according to wikipedia, the halting problem is a decision problem about properties of computer programs on a fixed Turing-complete model of computation. The problem is to determine, given a program and an input to the program, whether the program will eventually halt when run with that input. In this abstract framework, there are no resource limitations of memory or time on the program's execution; it can take arbitrarily long, and use arbitrarily much storage space, before halting. The question is simply whether the given program will ever halt on a particular input.
A description of a program and a finite input, decide whether the program finishes running or will run forever, given that input.  
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Alan Turing proved in 1936 that a general algorithm to solve the halting problem for all possible program-input pairs cannot exist. We say that the halting problem is undecidable over Turing machines. Copeland (2004) attributes the actual term halting problem to Martin Davis.--[[User:Kim297|Kim297]] 10:14, 20 November 2008 (UTC)
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--[[User:Kim297|Kim297]] 10:13, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

Latest revision as of 20:36, 30 November 2008

according to wikipedia, the halting problem is a decision problem about properties of computer programs on a fixed Turing-complete model of computation. The problem is to determine, given a program and an input to the program, whether the program will eventually halt when run with that input. In this abstract framework, there are no resource limitations of memory or time on the program's execution; it can take arbitrarily long, and use arbitrarily much storage space, before halting. The question is simply whether the given program will ever halt on a particular input.


--Kim297 10:13, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

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