Kolmogorov Complexity and Solovay Functions

Solovay proved that there exists a computable upper bound f of the prefix-free Kolmogorov complexity function K such that f (x) = K(x) for infinitely many x. In this paper, we consider the class of computable functions f such that K(x) <= f (x)+O(1) for all x and f (x) <= K(x) + O(1) for infinitely many x, which we call Solovay functions. We show that Solovay functions present interesting connections with randomness notions such as Martin-L\"of randomness and K-triviality

Coding-theorem Like Behaviour and Emergence of the Universal Distribution from Resource-bounded Algorithmic Probability

Previously referred to as `miraculous' in the scientific literature because of its powerful properties and its wide application as optimal solution to the problem of induction/inference, (approximations to) Algorithmic Probability (AP) and the associated Universal Distribution are (or should be) of the greatest importance in science. Here we investigate the emergence, the rates of emergence and convergence, and the Coding-theorem like behaviour of AP in Turing-subuniversal models of computation. We investigate empirical distributions of computing models in the Chomsky hierarchy. We introduce measures of algorithmic probability and algorithmic complexity based upon resource-bounded computation, in contrast to previously thoroughly investigated distributions produced from the output distribution of Turing machines. This approach allows for numerical approximations to algorithmic (Kolmogorov-Chaitin) complexity-based estimations at each of the levels of a computational hierarchy. We demonstrate that all these estimations are correlated in rank and that they converge both in rank and values as a function of computational power, despite fundamental differences between computational models. In the context of natural processes that operate below the Turing universal level because of finite resources and physical degradation, the investigation of natural biases stemming from algorithmic rules may shed light on the distribution of outcomes. We show that up to 60\% of the simplicity/complexity bias in distributions produced even by the weakest of the computational models can be accounted for by Algorithmic Probability in its approximation to the Universal Distribution.Comment: 27 pages main text, 39 pages including supplement. Online complexity calculator: http://complexitycalculator.com

Kolmogorov complexity and computably enumerable sets

We study the computably enumerable sets in terms of the: (a) Kolmogorov complexity of their initial segments; (b) Kolmogorov complexity of finite programs when they are used as oracles. We present an extended discussion of the existing research on this topic, along with recent developments and open problems. Besides this survey, our main original result is the following characterization of the computably enumerable sets with trivial initial segment prefix-free complexity. A computably enumerable set $A$ is $K$-trivial if and only if the family of sets with complexity bounded by the complexity of $A$ is uniformly computable from the halting problem

Optimal asymptotic bounds on the oracle use in computations from Chaitin’s Omega

Chaitin’s number is the halting probability of a universal prefix-free machine, and although it depends on the underlying enumeration of prefix-free machines, it is always Turing-complete. It can be observed, in fact, that for every computably enumerable (c.e.) real �, there exists a Turing functional via which computes �, and such that the number of bits of that are needed for the computation of the first n bits of � (i.e. the use on argument n) is bounded above by a computable function h(n) = n + o (n). We characterise the asymptotic upper bounds on the use of Chaitin’s in oracle computations of halting probabilities (i.e. c.e. reals). We show that the following two conditions are equivalent for any computable function h such that h(n)

Kolmogorov complexity

In dieser Dissertation werden neue Ergebnisse über Kolmogorovkomplexität diskutiert. Ihr erster Teil konzentriert sich auf das Studium von Kolmogorovkomplexität ohne Zeitschranken. Hier beschäftigen wir uns mit dem Konzept nicht-monotoner Zufälligkeit, d.h. Zufälligkeit, die von Martingalen charakterisiert wird, die in nicht-monotoner Reihenfolge wetten dürfen. Wir werden in diesem Zusammenhang eine Reihe von Zufälligkeitsklassen einführen, und diese dann von einander separieren. Wir präsentieren auß erdem einen systematischen überblick über verschiedene Traceability-Begriffe und charakterisieren diese durch (Auto-)Komplexitätsbegriffe. Traceabilities sind eine Gruppe von Begriffen, die ausdrücken, dass eine Menge beinahe berechenbar ist. Der zweite Teil dieses Dokuments beschäftigt sich mit dem Thema zeitbeschränkter Kolmogorovkomplexität. Zunächst untersuchen wir den Unterschied zwischen zwei Arten, ein Wort zu beschreiben: Die Komplexität, es genau genug zu beschreiben, damit es von anderen Wörter unterschieden werden kann; sowie die Komplexität, es genau genug zu beschreiben, damit das Wort aus der Beschreibung tatsächlich generiert werden kann. Diese Unterscheidung ist im Falle zeitunbeschränkter Kolmogorovkomplexität nicht von Bedeutung; sobald wir jedoch Zeitschranken einführen, wird sie essentiell. Als nächstes führen wir den Begriff der Tiefe ein und beweisen ein ihn betreffendes Dichotomieresultat, das in seiner Struktur an Kummers bekanntes Gap-Theorem erinnert. Zu guter Letzt betrachten wir den wichtigen Begriff der Solovayfunktionen. Hierbei handelt es sich um berechenbare obere Schranken der Kolmogorovkomplexität, die unendlich oft scharf sind. Wir benutzen sie, um in einem gewissen Zusammenhang Martin-Löf-Zufälligkeit zu charakterisieren, und um eine Charakterisierung von Jump-Traceability anzugeben

Proceedings of the 26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS'09)

The Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS) is held alternately in France and in Germany. The conference of February 26-28, 2009, held in Freiburg, is the 26th in this series. Previous meetings took place in Paris (1984), Saarbr¨ucken (1985), Orsay (1986), Passau (1987), Bordeaux (1988), Paderborn (1989), Rouen (1990), Hamburg (1991), Cachan (1992), W¨urzburg (1993), Caen (1994), M¨unchen (1995), Grenoble (1996), L¨ubeck (1997), Paris (1998), Trier (1999), Lille (2000), Dresden (2001), Antibes (2002), Berlin (2003), Montpellier (2004), Stuttgart (2005), Marseille (2006), Aachen (2007), and Bordeaux (2008). ..