English

Kolmogorov complexity and the Recursion Theorem

Logic 2014-08-12 v2

Abstract

Several classes of DNR functions are characterized in terms of Kolmogorov complexity. In particular, a set of natural numbers A can wtt-compute a DNR function iff there is a nontrivial recursive lower bound on the Kolmogorov complexity of the initial segments of A. Furthermore, A can Turing compute a DNR function iff there is a nontrivial A-recursive lower bound on the Kolmogorov complexity of the initial segements of A. A is PA-complete, that is, A can compute a {0,1}-valued DNR function, iff A can compute a function F such that F(n) is a string of length n and maximal C-complexity among the strings of length n. A solves the halting problem iff A can compute a function F such that F(n) is a string of length n and maximal H-complexity among the strings of length n. Further characterizations for these classes are given. The existence of a DNR function in a Turing degree is equivalent to the failure of the Recursion Theorem for this degree; thus the provided results characterize those Turing degrees in terms of Kolmogorov complexity which do no longer permit the usage of the Recursion Theorem.

Cite

@article{arxiv.0901.3933,
  title  = {Kolmogorov complexity and the Recursion Theorem},
  author = {Bjørn Kjos-Hanssen and Wolfgang Merkle and Frank Stephan},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0901.3933},
  year   = {2014}
}

Comments

Full version of paper presented at STACS 2006, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3884 (2006), 149--161

R2 v1 2026-06-21T12:04:30.970Z