@@ 1,7 1,7 @@
---
-title: "The MU puzzle"
+title: "On Decidability and the MU-puzzle"
date: 2020-12-12T00:00:00+01:00
-tags: math
+tags: math, decidability
draft: true
---
@@ 11,10 11,10 @@ In the first few chapters, Hofstadter introduces a formal system called the
MIU-system. The MIU-system consists of four simple rules for manipulating
strings consisting of the characters `M`, `I` and `U`.
+1. `xI -> xIU`, where `x` can be any string
1. `Mx -> Mxx`, where `x` can be any string
-2. `xIIIy -> xUy`, where `x` and `y` can be any strings
-3. `xUUy -> xy`, where `x` and `y` can be any strings
-4. `xI -> xIU`, where `x` can be any string
+1. `xIIIy -> xUy`, where `x` and `y` can be any strings
+1. `xUUy -> xy`, where `x` and `y` can be any strings
Note that the placeholders `x` and `y` must always match the entire string,
i.e. the application `MII -> MIII`, choosing `x = I`, is not valid. The correct
@@ 58,25 58,22 @@ value(MU) = 3
value(MI) = 1
```
-The rules 2, 3, and 4 preserve value of a string modulo 3. The only operation
-which changes the number of `I`s is rule 1: it duplicates `x`, hence it doubles
-the value of a string.
-
The value of our target `MU` is 3 which is divisible by 3, while the value of
our starting string `MI` is 1, which is not divisible by 3.
-Our goal is to show that, starting with a string of value not divisible by 3,
-every rule application cannot create a string with value divisible 3.
+If we can show that, starting with a string of value not divisible by 3, every
+rule application cannot create a string with value divisible 3, then it is also
+impossible to get `MU` by starting with `MI`.
-So take a string `Mx` whose value is not divisible by 3. Rules 2, 3 and 4
+So take a string `Mx` whose value is not divisible by 3. Rules 1, 3 and 4
preserve the value of `Mx` modulo 3, so by assumption the resulting string also
has value not divisible by 3.
-Rule 1 doubles the value of a string. However, by doubling any number which is
+Rule 2 doubles the value of a string. However, by doubling any number which is
not a multiple of 3 we can never create a number divisible by 3: a number is
-divisible by 3 iff 3 is one of its (unique) prime factors. By doubling a number
-the only prime factor we potentially add is 2, hence the resulting number also
-cannot have 3 as a prime factor, and is not divisible by 3.
+divisible by 3 iff 3 is one of its (unique) prime factors. When doubling, the
+only prime factor we potentially add is 2, hence the resulting number also
+cannot have 3 as a prime factor. Thus it is not divisible by 3.
We can express this more succinctly as
@@ 88,10 85,10 @@ We can express this more succinctly as
We have just shown that any string with value divisible by three cannot be
generated in the MIU system if starting from `MI`. The question remains: Which
-strings can we generate? Is it possible to generate all other strings `Mx`, i.e.
+strings can we generate? Is it possible to generate all other strings, i.e.
all strings `Mx` such that `value(Mx) != 0 (mod 3)`?
-The answer turns out to be yes, using for example the following algorithm.
+The answer turns out to be yes, using (among others) the following algorithm.
1. Generate `My = MIIIIII...III` by applying rule 1 to `MI`, such that the following holds:
the value of `My` is larger than `Mx` and `value(My) = value(Mx) (mod 3)`.
@@ 144,17 141,19 @@ problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halting_problem), and is one of the most
famous [undecidable
problems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_undecidable_problems).
-These abstract problems can even have real world consequences: This year it was
+These abstract problems can even have real world consequences: this year it was
shown that type-checking a Swift program is [also an undecidable
problem](https://forums.swift.org/t/swift-type-checking-is-undecidable/39024),
-by showing that in order to solve type-checking, the compiler must solve the
+by showing that in order to type-check a program, the compiler must solve the
[word problem for finitely generated
groups](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_problem_for_groups). I like how this
example shows us that some abstract problems pop up in unexpected places, and
why seemingly purely theoretical knowledge matters, even for applied problems
such as building compilers.
+---
+
If you have any questions or comments feel free to reach out to me via my
[public inbox](https://lists.sr.ht/~bfiedler/public-inbox). If you are
-interested in undecidability in other programming languages, you might like
-[typing-is-hard.ch](https://typing-is-hard.ch).
+interested in undecidability in other programming languages, you might also like
+this website I made: [typing-is-hard.ch](https://typing-is-hard.ch).