Models of Computation: An Introduction to Computability Theory (Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science)

Abstract

An Introduction to Computability Theory provides an introduction tothe essential concepts in computability, using several models ofcomputation, from Turing machines to the modern computation modelsinspired by quantum physics. It is addressed to advanced undergraduatestudents, as a complement to programming courses, or to postgraduatestudents interested in foundations of computation and the theoryof computability.There are two parts in the book. The first highlights the traditionalmodels of computation used in the first studies on computability:- Automata and Turing Machines;- Recursive functions and the Lambda-Calculus;- Logic-based computation models.The second part covers object-oriented and interaction-based models,and includes a chapter on concurrency and a chapter on emergent modelsof computation inspired by quantum mechanics and systems biology.At the end of each chapter there is a list of exercises, solutionsto selected exercises are provided in the final chapter of the book.The book gives an in-depth analysis of the basic concepts underlyingeach model of computation. It privileges the understanding of thebasic techniques and their relationships over simply describing theirproperties.