(definition)
Definition: A problem that cannot be solved for all cases by any algorithm whatsoever---equivalently, whose associated language cannot be recognized by a Turing machine that halts for all inputs.
Specialization (... is a kind of me.)
halting problem, Post's correspondence problem.
See also decidable problem, unsolvable problem, undecidable language, intractable, busy beaver.
Note: From Algorithms and Theory of Computation Handbook, page 24-19 or 26-20, Copyright © 1999 by CRC Press LLC. Appearing in the Dictionary of Computer Science, Engineering and Technology, Copyright © 2000 CRC Press LLC.
Author: CRC-A
If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul Black.
Entry modified 9 August 2004.
HTML page formatted Wed Mar 13 12:42:46 2019.
Cite this as:
Algorithms and Theory of Computation Handbook, CRC Press LLC, 1999, "undecidable problem", in
Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Paul E. Black, ed. 9 August 2004. (accessed TODAY)
Available from: https://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/undecidableProblem.html