Over the previous 17 chapters, we have looked at computers: what they are, what they can do, and how to use them to solve problems. In this chapter, we look at what computers cannot do. That is, we examine the limits imposed by the hardware, the software, and the problems themselves. The dictionary gives multiple meanings for the word limit, including “boundary” and “something that is exasperating or intolerable.” We use both of these definitions of limit in this chapter.
Just as a roadblock stops traffic, the limits imposed by the hardware, software, and problems stop certain kinds of processing.
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