Turing Machines

A Turing Machine
Tape
...... ......

Read-Write head
Control Unit
Standard
Turing
Machine
(STM)
 The Tape

No boundaries -- infinite length

...... ......

Read-Write head

The head moves Left or Right

 ...... ......

Read-Write head

The head at each transition (time step):

1. Reads a symbol
2. Writes a symbol
3. Moves Left or Right
Formal Definitions
for
Turing Machines
Transition Function

q1 a → b, R q2

 (q1, a) = (q2 , b, R)
Transition Function

q1 c → d, L q2

 (q1, c) = (q2 , d , L)
Turing Machine:

Input Tape
alphabet alphabet
States

M = (Q, , ,  , q0 , , F )

Transition Accept
function states
Initial
blank
state
 Configuration

  c a b a  

q1

Instantaneous description: ca q1 ba
 Time 4 Time 5
 x a y b    x a y b  

q2 q0

A Move: q2 xayb  x q0 ayb

(yields in one mode)
 Time 4 Time 5
 x a y b    x a y b  

q2 q0

Time 6 Time 7
 x x y b    x x y b  

q1 q1
A computation
q2 xayb  x q0 ayb  xx q1 yb  xxy q1 b
q2 xayb  x q0 ayb  xx q1 yb  xxy q1 b


Equivalent notation: q2 xayb  xxy q1 b
Initial configuration: q0 w

Input string

 a a b b  

q0
 The Accepted Language

For any Turing Machine M


L( M ) = {w : q0 w  x1 q f x2 }

Initial state Accept state

If a language L is accepted
by a Turing machine M
then we say that Lis:

•Turing Recognizable

Other names used:

•Turing Acceptable
•Recursively Enumerable
Computing Functions
with
Turing Machines
A function f (w) has:

Domain: D Result Region: S

f (w)
w D f ( w)  S
A function may have many parameters:

Example: Addition function

f ( x, y ) = x + y
 Integer Domain

Decimal: 5

Binary: 101

Unary: 11111

We prefer unary representation:

easier to manipulate with Turing machines

Definition:

A function f is computable if
there is a Turing Machine M such that:

Initial configuration Final configuration

 w   f (w) 

q0 qf
initial state accept state

For all w D Domain

In other words:
A function f is computable if
there is a Turing Machine M such that:

q0 w  q f f ( w)

Initial Final
Configuration Configuration

For all w D Domain

 Example

The function f ( x, y ) = x + y is computable

x, y are integers

Turing Machine:

Input string: x0 y unary

Output string: xy 0 unary

 x y

Start  1 1  1 0 1  1 

q0
initial state

The 0 is the delimiter that

separates the two numbers
 x y

Start  1 1  1 0 1  1 

q0 initial state

x+ y

Finish  1 1  1 1 0 
q f final state
 The 0 here helps when we use
the result for other operations

x+ y

Finish  1 1  1 1 0 
q f final state
Execution Example: Time 0
x y
x = 11 (=2)
 1 1 0 1 1 
y = 11 (=2) q0

Final Result
x+ y
 1 1 1 1 0 

q4
Turing machine for function f ( x, y ) = x + y
 Turing machine for function f ( x, y ) = x + y

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q2 1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 0  1 1 0 1 1 

q0

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 1  1 1 0 1 1 

q0

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 2  1 1 0 1 1 

q0

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 3  1 1 1 1 1 

q1

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 4  1 1 1 1 1 

q1

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 5  1 1 1 1 1 

q1

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 6  1 1 1 1 1 

q2

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 7  1 1 1 1 0 

q3

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 8  1 1 1 1 0 

q3

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 9  1 1 1 1 0 

q3

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 10  1 1 1 1 0 

q3

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 11  1 1 1 1 0 

q3

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
q4
 Time 12  1 1 1 1 0 

q4

1 → 1, R 1 → 1, R 1 → 1, L

q0 0 → 1, R q1  → , L q 2
1 → 0, L q3

 → , R
HALT & accept q4
 Another Example

The function f ( x) = 2 x is computable

x is integer

Turing Machine:

Input string: x unary

Output string: xx unary

 x

Start  1 1  1 

q0 initial state

2x

Finish  1 1  1 1 1 
q f accept state
Turing Machine Pseudocode for f ( x) = 2 x

• Replace every 1 with $

• Repeat:
• Find rightmost $, replace it with 1

• Go to right end, insert 1

Until no more $ remain

Turing Machine for f ( x) = 2 x
1 → $, R 1 → 1, L 1 → 1, R

q0  → , L q1 $ → 1, R q2
 → , R  → 1, L
q3
 Example
Start Finish
 1 1   1 1 1 1 
q0 q3
1 → $, R 1 → 1, L 1 → 1, R

q0  → , L q1 $ → 1, R q2
 → , R  → 1, L
q3
 Another Example

1 if x y
The function f ( x, y ) =
is computable 0 if x y

Input: x0 y

Output: 1 or 0
Turing Machine Pseudocode:

• Repeat

Match a 1 from x with a 1 from y

Until all of x or y is matched

• If a 1 from x is not matched

erase tape, write 1 ( x  y)
else
erase tape, write 0 ( x  y)
Combining Turing Machines
 Block Diagram

Turing
input output
Machine
 Example: x + y if x  y
f ( x, y ) =
0 if x  y

x, y
Adder x+ y
x, y x y
Comparator

x y Eraser 0