> Shannon (1956) looked at the concept provided by Turing to make a mechanical or other electric machine and made an error in the description. Unfortunately, Shannon described Turing's machine as a system that requires "a control element, a reading and writing head, and an infinite tape". It was not Turing that stated that a Turing machine must be infinite but rather Shannon. Whilst Shannon produced some excellent engineering; he was not a mathematician. -- Craig (Fraudtoshi) Wright
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> Some years ago I was researching on what might now be described as an investigation of the theoretical possibilities and limitations of digital computing machines. I considered a type of machine which had a central mechanism, and an infinite memory which was contained on an infinite tape. This type of machine appeared to be sufficiently general. One of my conclusions was that the idea of a 'rule of thumb' process and a 'machine process' were synonymous. The expression 'machine process' of course means one which could be carried out by the type of machine I was considering. lt was essential in these theoretical arguments that the memory should be infinite. It can easily be shown that otherwise the machine can only execute periodic operations. -- Lecture to the London Mathematical Society, Alan Turing, 1947
Turing himself directly refutes Wright's nonsense and did so over 70 years ago.
Wright also claims that Shannon wasn't a mathematician... but Shannon's PHD was in Mathematics! ... and isn't it usually engineers who dispense with the infinities? ... Wright better let the NYT know than Shannon wasn't a mathematician ( https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/27/nyregion/claude-shannon-m... ).
> Shannon (1956) looked at the concept provided by Turing to make a mechanical or other electric machine and made an error in the description. Unfortunately, Shannon described Turing's machine as a system that requires "a control element, a reading and writing head, and an infinite tape". It was not Turing that stated that a Turing machine must be infinite but rather Shannon. Whilst Shannon produced some excellent engineering; he was not a mathematician. -- Craig (Fraudtoshi) Wright
to
> Some years ago I was researching on what might now be described as an investigation of the theoretical possibilities and limitations of digital computing machines. I considered a type of machine which had a central mechanism, and an infinite memory which was contained on an infinite tape. This type of machine appeared to be sufficiently general. One of my conclusions was that the idea of a 'rule of thumb' process and a 'machine process' were synonymous. The expression 'machine process' of course means one which could be carried out by the type of machine I was considering. lt was essential in these theoretical arguments that the memory should be infinite. It can easily be shown that otherwise the machine can only execute periodic operations. -- Lecture to the London Mathematical Society, Alan Turing, 1947
Turing himself directly refutes Wright's nonsense and did so over 70 years ago.
Wright also claims that Shannon wasn't a mathematician... but Shannon's PHD was in Mathematics! ... and isn't it usually engineers who dispense with the infinities? ... Wright better let the NYT know than Shannon wasn't a mathematician ( https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/27/nyregion/claude-shannon-m... ).