0.1 Automata, Computability, Complexity

















What is Complexity Theory?

	some problems are easy

	some problems are hard


What kind of problem is sorting a list of a million numbers? (easy or hard)

What kind of problem is scheduling classes for a university? (easy or hard)

















What is Computability Theory?

	some problems can be solved by computer

	some problems cannot be solved by computer


Given an arbitrary program,
can you determine if the program will loop forever?



















What is Automata Theory?

	mathematical models of computation

What are some common mathematical models of computers?

	finite state automaton
	push-down automaton
	Turing machine

Why do you need mathematical models of computers?

	precise definition allows for proof
	prove results in complexity and computability
	applications in text processing, programming languages, hardware