Re: Linz's proofs.

On 3/7/2024 10:44 AM, immibis wrote:

On 7/03/24 17:16, Ben Bacarisse wrote:

immibis <news@immibis.com> writes:
>

On 7/03/24 12:32, Ben Bacarisse wrote:

The students I taught seemed to have no problem with this sort of case
analysis.  But the "assume H does X" argument lead to lots of "but H1
could be better" arguments.

>
They aren't satisfied with "we can do the exact same thing with H1 to prove
that H1 doesn't work either"?

>
In the vast majority of cases, yes, but even then there is a logical
problem with going down that route -- there is no H so there can't be an
H1 that does better.  Once this objection is properly examined, it turns
out to be the argument I ended up preferring anyway.  H isn't a halt
decider, it's just any old TM and we show it can't be halt decider for
one reason or another.
>

 Unless your students are extremely pedantic... maybe they are... I don't see what's illogical with:
 "I think H is a halt decider."
"But it doesn't: see this proof."
"Oh. Well, even though H isn't a halt decider, how do we know there isn't a program H1 which is a halt decider?"
"The proof would still work for H1, or H2, or any other program you think is a halt decider."
 

It is an easily verified fact that:
H(D,D) Sees that D(D) is calling H(D,D) at machine address 00001522
H1(D,D) Sees that D(D) is NOT calling H1(D,D) at machine address 00001422
*different machine addresses is the reason for different return values*
--
Copyright 2024 Olcott "Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius
hits a target no one else can see." Arthur Schopenhauer