Tape (Turing Machine)

computation

Definition

Tape (Turing Machine)

A tape is an infinite sequence of elements where each element can be blank $B$ or a state $X_i\in Q$. Almost all cells are non-blank.

Variants

Input

Definition

Input Tape (Turing Machine)

The input tape is a specialised tape on a Turing machine that contains the initial input string. It is typically read-only, meaning the tape head can read the symbols but cannot modify them.

The input tape is usually finite (or semi-infinite with the input string followed by blanks) and serves as the primary source of data for the machine’s computation.

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Work

Definition

Work Tape (Turing Machine)

A work tape is a tape on a Turing machine that can be both read from and written to. It is used to store intermediate results and perform calculations during the machine’s execution.

Unlike the input tape, the work tape is initialised with blanks (except possibly for special markers) and allows the machine to modify its contents.

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