Recursively Enumerable

and
Recursive Languages

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 1

Definition:
A language is recursively enumerable
if there is a Turing machine that accepts it

Also known as: Turing Recognizable languages

orTuring Acceptable languages

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 2

Let L be a recursively enumerable language
and M the Turing Machine that accepts it

For any string w :

if w L then M halts in an accept state

if w L then M halts in a non-accept state

or loops forever
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 3
 Definition:
A language is recursive
if there is a Turing machine accepts it
and the machine halts on every input string

Also known as decidable languages

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 4

Let L be a recursive language
Then there is a Turing machine M
that accepts L such that:
For any string w:

if w L then M halts in an accept state

if w L then M halts in a non-accept state

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 5

 We will prove:

1. There is a specific language L

which is not recursively enumerable
(not accepted by any Turing Machine)

2. There is a specific language L

which is recursively enumerable
but not recursive

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 6

 Non Recursively Enumerable
L
Recursively Enumerable

L
Recursive

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 7

 A Language which
is not
Recursively Enumerable

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 8

 Consider alphabet {a}

Strings: a, aa, aaa, aaaa, 

1 2 3 4
a a a a 

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 9

 Consider Turing Machines
that accept languages over alphabet {a}

They are countable:

M1, M 2 , M 3 , M 4 , 

(There is an enumeration procedure that

generates them)
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 10
Each machine accepts some language over {a}
M1, M 2 , M 3 , M 4 , 

L( M1), L( M 2 ), L( M 3 ), L( M 4 ), 

Note that it is possible to have

L( M i )  L( M j ) for i j
Since, a language could be accepted by more than one
Turing machine
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 11
 Example language accepted by M i

L( M i )  {aa, aaaa, aaaaaa}

2 4 6
L( M i )  {a , a , a }

Binary representation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
a a a a a a a 

L( M i ) 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 12
 Example of binary representations
1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 13

 Consider the language

i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}

L consists of the 1’s in the diagonal

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 14
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

3 4
L  {a , a ,}
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 15
 Consider the language L

i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}

i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}

L consists of the 0’s in the diagonal

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 16

 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

1 2
L  {a , a ,}
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 17
Theorem:
Language L is not recursively enumerable

Proof:

Assume for contradiction that

L is recursively enumerable

There must exist some machine Mk

that accepts L : L( M k )  L
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 18
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

Question: M k  M1 ? L( M k )  L
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 19
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 
1
a  L( M k )
Answer: M k  M1
1
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI
a  L ( M1 ) 20
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

Question: M k  M 2 ? L( M k )  L
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 21
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 
2
a  L( M k )
Answer: Mk  M2
2
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI
a  L( M 2 ) 22
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

Question: M k  M 3 ? L( M k )  L
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 23
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 
3
a  L( M k )
Answer: M k  M3
3
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI
a  L( M 3 ) 24
 Similarly: Mk  Mi for any i
Because either:
i i
a  L( M k ) a  L( M k )
or
i i
a  L( M i ) a  L( M i )

the machine M k cannot exist

L is not recursively enumerable

End of Proof
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 25
 Non Recursively Enumerable

L
Recursively Enumerable

Recursive

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 26

 A Language which is
Recursively Enumerable
and not Recursive

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 27

 We will prove that the language
i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}

Is recursively But not

enumerable recursive

There is a Every machine

Turing Machine that accepts L
that accepts L doesn’t halt
on some input string
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 28
 1 2 3 4
a a a a 

L ( M1 ) 0 1 0 1 

L( M 2 ) 1 0 0 1 

L( M 3 ) 0 1 1 1 

L( M 4 ) 0 0 0 1 

3 4
L  {a , a ,}
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 29
Theorem: The language
i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}
is recursively enumerable

Proof: We will give a Turing Machine that

accepts L

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 30

 Turing Machine that accepts L
For any input string w
i
• Compute i , for which wa
• Find Turing machine M i
(using the enumeration procedure
for Turing Machines)
i
• Simulate M i on input a
• If M i accepts, then accept w
End of Proof
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 31
 Observation:

Recursively enumerable
i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}

Not recursively enumerable

i i
L  {a : a  L( M i )}
(Thus, L is not recursive either)

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 32

 Theorem:
If a language X is recursive,
then its complement X is recursive too

Proof:
Build a Turing machine M  that
accepts X and halts on every input

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 33

 (accepts X and halts on every input string)
Turing Machine M 
On any input string w do:

1. Let M be the Turing machine that accepts X

and halts on every input string

2. Run M with input string w

If M accepts then reject
If M rejects then accept

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 34

 M M

qi qi x  x, R

For all tape symbols x

not read in the other
transitions of qi

qj qj

Transform M to M
END OF PROOF
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 35
 i i
Theorem: L  {a : a  L( M i )}
is not a recursive language

Proof: If L is recursive
The complement
of a recursive language
is recursive

Then L is recursive
However, L is not Turing acceptable!
Contradiction!!!!
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 36
 Non Recursively Enumerable

L
Recursively Enumerable

L
Recursive

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 37

 Turing acceptable languages
and
Enumeration Procedures

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 38

 We will prove:
(weak result)
• If a language is recursive then
there is an enumeration procedure for it

(strong result)
• A language is recursively enumerable
if and only if
there is an enumeration procedure for it

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 39

Theorem:
if a language L is recursive then
there is an enumeration procedure for it

Proof:

Let M be the Turing machine that accepts L

and halts on every input

Use M to build the enumeration procedure

for L
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 40
 ~
Let M be an enumerator that prints
all strings from input alphabet in proper order

a
b
aa
Example:
ab
alphabet is {a, b} ba (proper order)
bb
aaa
aab
......
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 41
 Enumeration procedure for L
Repeat:
~ generates a string w
M
M checks if w  L
YES: print w to output
NO: ignore w
This part terminates,
because L is recursive
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 42
 Enumeration Machine for L
~ M
M Give me
Enumerates all next string
If M accepts wi output
strings of
then print wi to
input alphabet string wi All strings
output
of L

Generates all Tests each string

Strings in alphabet if it is accepted by M

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 43

Example: L  {b, ab, bb, aaa,....}
~ Enumeration
M M Output
w1 a reject
w2 b accept b
w3 aa reject
ab accept ab
ba reject

bb accept bb
aaa accept aaa
aab reject

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI END OF PROOF 44

 Theorem:

if language L is recursively enumerable then

there is an enumeration procedure for it

Proof:

Let M be the Turing machine that accepts L

Use M to build the enumeration procedure

for L
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 45
 Enumeration Machine for L

~ M
M

Enumerates all
Accepts L
strings of input alphabet
in proper order
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 46
 NAIVE APPROACH
Enumeration procedure for L
Repeat:
~ generates a string w
M
M checks if w  L
YES: printw to output
NO: ignore w

Problem: If w  L
machine M may loop forever
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 47
 BETTER APPROACH
~ Generates first string w
M 1

M executes first step on w1

~ Generates second string w

M 2

M executes first step on w2

second step on w1
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 48
 ~ Generates third string w
M 3

M executes first step on w3

second step on w2
third step on w1

And so on............

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 49

 String: w1 w2 w3 w4 

1 1 1 1

Step in
2 2 2 2
computation
of string
3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 50

 If for any string wi
machine M halts in an accepting state
then it prints wi on the output

End of Proof
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 51
Theorem:
If for language L
there is an enumeration procedure
then L is recursively enumerable

Proof:

Using the enumerator for L

we will build a Turing machine
that accepts L

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 52

 Input Tape
w

Turing Machine that accepts L

w
Enumerator wi Compare
for L Give me the
If same,
next string Accept and Halt
in the
enumeration
sequence

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 53

Turing machine that accepts L
For any input string w
Loop:
• Using the enumerator of L ,
generate the next string of L
• Compare generated string with w
If same, accept and exit loop

End of Proof
Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 54
 By Combining the last two theorems,
we have proven:

A language is recursively enumerable

if and only if
there is an enumeration procedure for it

Fall 2005 Costas Busch - RPI 55