Algorithms (Jul 2020)

Equivalence of the Frame and Halting Problems

  • Eric Dietrich,
  • Chris Fields

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/a13070175
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 7
p. 175

Abstract

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The open-domain Frame Problem is the problem of determining what features of an open task environment need to be updated following an action. Here we prove that the open-domain Frame Problem is equivalent to the Halting Problem and is therefore undecidable. We discuss two other open-domain problems closely related to the Frame Problem, the system identification problem and the symbol-grounding problem, and show that they are similarly undecidable. We then reformulate the Frame Problem as a quantum decision problem, and show that it is undecidable by any finite quantum computer.

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