Chapter 10 Applianceness
Theoretical computer science defines a system as “Turing complete” when, according to a theoretical model first created by the pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing, it can perform any arbitrary information processing task. All Turing complete systems are theoretically interchangeable. One system may not be as efficient as another, but given enough time and appropriate programming, they will both generate identical output.
Virtually every object with a CPU is Turing complete, which means that every computer product can do the job of every other one, given enough time, enough memory, and the right software. Because Turing’s original hypothetical computer did not use electronics at all — it was mechanical and output ...
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