Name: Anonymous 2016-09-14 3:28
[i]UNDERGRAD QUALITY[/i] incoming: An old thread on /math/ got me thinking about this. We know the typical proof uses
and G(G) as a counterexample. Would this
mean you can't prove a program always returns odd numbers because of P(P)? What about any other simple property like ``returns alphanumeric character'' or ``returns a valid s-expression''? You can always construct a function that ends in a contradiction by just returning the opposite thing.
func G(x): if Halts(x, x) then loop forever
else false
and G(G) as a counterexample. Would this
func P(x): if ReturnsOdd(x, x) then 2
else 1
mean you can't prove a program always returns odd numbers because of P(P)? What about any other simple property like ``returns alphanumeric character'' or ``returns a valid s-expression''? You can always construct a function that ends in a contradiction by just returning the opposite thing.