Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Decision Problems, Lowell Anderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

From an intuitive point of view the notion of effective procedure consists of a set of rules or instructions that enables one, in a finite number of steps and in a purely mechanical way, to answer yes or no to any one of a given class of questions. This procedure requires no intelligence to carry out the instructions and, in fact, it is con­ceivable that some mechanical contrivance may be constructed to carry out these instructions. Should such an effective procedure exist, that answers either yes or no, then the group of problems in question is said to be effectively …