TURING COMPLETENESS Meaning and
Definition
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Turing completeness is a term used in computer science to describe a computational system or language that has the ability to simulate any other computational system. It refers to the ability of a system to perform calculations of equal power and complexity as a Turing machine.
A Turing machine is an abstract mathematical model of a computer that was proposed by the British mathematician, Alan Turing, in the 1930s. It consists of a tape containing symbols that can be read and written by a head, and a set of rules that define how the head can move and change the symbols on the tape. Turing completeness refers to the ability to replicate this model in any computational system, such as programming languages or hardware architectures.
To be considered Turing complete, a system must be able to perform all tasks that a Turing machine can perform, including the ability to compute any computable function or solve any computational problem. This implies that the system is capable of executing loops, conditionals, and recursive algorithms, among other features.
Being Turing complete is a significant property for a computational system because it signifies its universality and its ability to solve any problem that can be solved by a computer. Many programming languages and hardware architectures strive to achieve Turing completeness as it provides the foundation for general-purpose computing and the development of complex software applications.
Etymology of TURING COMPLETENESS
The term "Turing completeness" refers to the concept in computer science that a system or programming language has the ability to simulate any other Turing machine. The word "Turing" in "Turing completeness" is derived from the name of Alan Turing, an influential British mathematician, logician, and computer scientist.
Alan Turing is known for his groundbreaking work on the concept of a Turing machine, a theoretical device that can manipulate symbols on an infinite tape according to a set of predefined rules. A Turing machine is a fundamental concept in computer science and serves as a theoretical model of a general-purpose computer.
Since Turing machines are capable of simulating any other computing device, the term "Turing completeness" emerged to describe a system or programming language that possesses this capability. It acknowledges Turing's significant contributions to the field of computation and his role in defining the theoretical foundations of computing.
