Enumeration Reducibility in Closure Spaces with Applications to Logic and Algebra

In many instances in first order logic or computable algebra, classical theorems show that many problems are undecidable for general structures, but become decidable if some rigidity is imposed on the structure. For example, the set of theorems in many finitely axiomatisable theories is nonrecursive, but the set of theorems for any finitely axiomatisable complete theory is recursive. Finitely presented groups might have an nonrecursive word problem, but finitely presented simple groups have a recursive word problem. In this article we introduce a topological framework based on closure spaces to show that many of these proofs can be obtained in a similar setting. We will show in particular that these statements can be generalized to cover arbitrary structures, with no finite or recursive presentation/axiomatization. This generalizes in particular work by Kuznetsov and others. Examples from first order logic and symbolic dynamics will be discussed at length

Decidability and Universality in Symbolic Dynamical Systems

Many different definitions of computational universality for various types of dynamical systems have flourished since Turing's work. We propose a general definition of universality that applies to arbitrary discrete time symbolic dynamical systems. Universality of a system is defined as undecidability of a model-checking problem. For Turing machines, counter machines and tag systems, our definition coincides with the classical one. It yields, however, a new definition for cellular automata and subshifts. Our definition is robust with respect to initial condition, which is a desirable feature for physical realizability. We derive necessary conditions for undecidability and universality. For instance, a universal system must have a sensitive point and a proper subsystem. We conjecture that universal systems have infinite number of subsystems. We also discuss the thesis according to which computation should occur at the `edge of chaos' and we exhibit a universal chaotic system.Comment: 23 pages; a shorter version is submitted to conference MCU 2004 v2: minor orthographic changes v3: section 5.2 (collatz functions) mathematically improved v4: orthographic corrections, one reference added v5:27 pages. Important modifications. The formalism is strengthened: temporal logic replaced by finite automata. New results. Submitte

Turing degrees of limit sets of cellular automata

Cellular automata are discrete dynamical systems and a model of computation. The limit set of a cellular automaton consists of the configurations having an infinite sequence of preimages. It is well known that these always contain a computable point and that any non-trivial property on them is undecidable. We go one step further in this article by giving a full characterization of the sets of Turing degrees of cellular automata: they are the same as the sets of Turing degrees of effectively closed sets containing a computable point

On Derivatives and Subpattern Orders of Countable Subshifts

We study the computational and structural aspects of countable two-dimensional SFTs and other subshifts. Our main focus is on the topological derivatives and subpattern posets of these objects, and our main results are constructions of two-dimensional countable subshifts with interesting properties. We present an SFT whose iterated derivatives are maximally complex from the computational point of view, a sofic shift whose subpattern poset contains an infinite descending chain, a family of SFTs whose finite subpattern posets contain arbitrary finite posets, and a natural example of an SFT with infinite Cantor-Bendixon rank.Comment: In Proceedings AUTOMATA&JAC 2012, arXiv:1208.249