Re: Can we agree on what a machine is?

Ricardo Ribeiro Gudwin (gudwin@DCA.FEE.UNICAMP.BR)
Fri, 29 Jan 1999 18:14:26 -0200


Don Mikulecky wrote:

> Don Mikulecky comments:
>
> I offer an abstract definition of a machine to serve as an aid in
> discussing the machine metaphor and its limitations. Let's see if we
> can agree or else come up with something better?

> DEFINITION: SEQUENTIAL MACHINE: SM = ( Xo, Q, Delta, qo,Y,Beta)
>
> Where
> Xo is the set of inputs
> Q is the set of states
> Delta: (Q X Xo) maps to Q is the dynamics
> qo is in Q is the initial state
> Y is the set of outputs
> Beta is the output map

Hi, Don !
WHAT IF ...
Xo is a continuous interval
Delta is continous for Xo (wouldn't it be better to say Delta : Q x X ->
Q ore Delta(q,x) instead Delta:(Q X Xo) to not mix X (cartesian product
with Xo (set) ?)
Y is a continous interval
Do we still have a machine ? Or how should it be called ?
(Let's stay with Q finite for a while, we can make Q continuous further
....)

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