(i) Explain briefly what is meant by the terms register machine and computable function.
Let u be the universal computable function u(m,n)=fm(n) and s a total computable function with fs(m,n)(k)=fm(n,k). Here fm(n) and fm(n,k) are the unary and binary functions computed by the m-th register machine program Pm. Suppose h:N→N is a total computable function. By considering the function
g(m,n)=u(h(s(m,m)),n)
show that there is a number a such that fa=fh(a).
(ii) Let P be the set of all partial functions N×N→N. Consider the mapping Φ:P→P defined by
Φ(g)(m,n)=⎩⎪⎪⎪⎪⎨⎪⎪⎪⎪⎧n+1g(m−1,1)g(m−1,g(m,n−1)) undefined if m=0, if m>0,n=0 and g(m−1,1) defined if mn>0 and g(m−1,g(m,n−1)) defined , otherwise.
(a) Show that any fixed point of Φ is a total function N×N→N. Deduce that Φ has a unique fixed point.
[The Bourbaki- Witt Theorem may be assumed if stated precisely.]
(b) It follows from standard closure properties of the computable functions that there is a computable function ψ such that
ψ(p,m,n)=Φ(fp)(m,n).
Assuming this, show that there is a total computable function h such that
Φ(fp)=fh(p) for all p.
Deduce that the fixed point of Φ is computable.