I think for Turing this was a completely conceptual device, allowing him to think through his theory. I don't think he ever expected it to exist, not least because his theoretical device had an infinitely long tape.
His theoretical device was programmed by the initial symbols on the tape. It would then start running, executing that program.
aye - funny, these things, viewpoints determines what counts as operating & what counts as controlled - when I read it now, my comment comes across the opposite to what I intended ! Clearly, the symbols determine what happens next, in accordance with some logic / algorithm / programming ...
we went around Bletchley Park earlier in the year - well worth a visit, or two, if you haven't already ...
it's clear Turing's ideas were implemented, at least by others using techniques of their own ...
maybe what I'm try to get at is, did Turing think-through only half the problem - what the machine(s) would be used to do, not how (magically) they would do it ...
good one - wonder how Turing envisaged the machine being controlled, as against operating ?
I think for Turing this was a completely conceptual device, allowing him to think through his theory. I don't think he ever expected it to exist, not least because his theoretical device had an infinitely long tape.
His theoretical device was programmed by the initial symbols on the tape. It would then start running, executing that program.
aye - funny, these things, viewpoints determines what counts as operating & what counts as controlled - when I read it now, my comment comes across the opposite to what I intended ! Clearly, the symbols determine what happens next, in accordance with some logic / algorithm / programming ...
we went around Bletchley Park earlier in the year - well worth a visit, or two, if you haven't already ...
it's clear Turing's ideas were implemented, at least by others using techniques of their own ...
maybe what I'm try to get at is, did Turing think-through only half the problem - what the machine(s) would be used to do, not how (magically) they would do it ...