Machines of the infinite.

• Autores: John Pavlus
• Localización: Scientific American, ISSN 0036-8733, Vol. 307, Nº. 3, 2012, págs. 66-71
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The article discusses mathematician Kurt Gödel's "P versus NP" question as an organizing principle of computer science and the implications of a machine's ability to answer yes-or-no questions. Topics include how computational complexity theory studies computers' capabilities, how mathematician Michael Sipser placed a bet on the P versus NP problem, and how the two categories have not been proven different. Additional information is presented on how this limitation affects human understanding of physical laws and biological evolution. INSETS: The Swedish Salesman;The Basics of Complexity.