Halting problem

In computability theory the halting problem is a decision problem which can be informally stated as follows:

Related Topics:
Computability theory - Decision problem

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

: Given a description of a program and its initial input, determine whether the program, when executed on this input, ever halts (completes). The alternative is that it runs forever without halting.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Alan Turing proved in 1936 that a general algorithm to solve the halting problem for all possible inputs cannot exist. We say that the halting problem is undecidable over Turing machines.

Related Topics:
Alan Turing - 1936 - Algorithm - Undecidable - Turing machine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~