- Effectively separable
In
computability theory , two sets ofnatural number s are effectively separable if it is possible to separate the sets with acomputable set , and effectively inseparable otherwise.Formal definition
Let "A" and "B" be disjoint sets of natural numbers. These sets are effectively separable if there is a
computable set "C" of natural numbers such that and is empty.If "A" and "B" are not effectively separable then they are effectively inseparable.
Examples
#Let "A" be the set of
Godel number s of Turing machines "M" such that on input "0" the machine "M" halts and outputs "0". Let "B" be the set ofGodel number s of Turing machines "M" such that on input "0" the machine "M" halts and outputs "1". Then "A" and "B" are effectively inseparablerecursively enumerable sets.
#Let "T" be the set of (Godel numbers of) theorems provable from the axioms ofPeano arithmetic , which is a recursively enumerable set, and let "R" be the set of negations of theorems of the axioms of Peano arithmetic, which is also recursively enumerable. Then "T" and "R" are effectively inseparable sets. A similar result would hold with any sufficiently strong axiom system in place of Peano arithmetic.References
Soare, R. "Recursively enumerable sets and degrees." Perspectives in Mathematical Logic. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1987. ISBN 3-540-15299-7
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