On Periodically Iterated Morphisms

We investigate the computational power of periodically iterated morphisms, also known as D0L systems with periodic control, PD0L systems for short. These systems give rise to a class of one-sided infinite sequences, called PD0L words. We construct a PD0L word with exponential subword complexity, thereby answering a question raised by Lepisto (1993) on the existence of such words. We solve another open problem concerning the decidability of the first-order theories of PD0L words; we show it is already undecidable whether a certain letter occurs in a PD0L word. This stands in sharp contrast to the situation for D0L words (purely morphic words), which are known to have at most quadratic subword complexity, and for which the monadic theory is decidable. The main result of our paper, leading to these answers, is that every computable word w over an alphabet Sigma can be embedded in a PD0L word u over an extended alphabet Gamma in the following two ways: (i) such that every finite prefix of w is a subword of u, and (ii) such that w is obtained from u by erasing all letters from Gamma not in Sigma. The PD0L system generating such a word u is constructed by encoding a Fractran program that computes the word w; Fractran is a programming language as powerful as Turing Machines. As a consequence of (ii), if we allow the application of finite state transducers to PD0L words, we obtain the set of all computable words. Thus the set of PD0L words is not closed under finite state transduction, whereas the set of D0L words is. It moreover follows that equality of PD0L words (given by their PD0L system) is undecidable. Finally, we show that if erasing morphisms are admitted, then the question of productivity becomes undecidable, that is, the question whether a given PD0L system defines an infinite word

Discriminating Lambda-Terms Using Clocked Boehm Trees

As observed by Intrigila, there are hardly techniques available in the lambda-calculus to prove that two lambda-terms are not beta-convertible. Techniques employing the usual Boehm Trees are inadequate when we deal with terms having the same Boehm Tree (BT). This is the case in particular for fixed point combinators, as they all have the same BT. Another interesting equation, whose consideration was suggested by Scott, is BY = BYS, an equation valid in the classical model P-omega of lambda-calculus, and hence valid with respect to BT-equality but nevertheless the terms are beta-inconvertible. To prove such beta-inconvertibilities, we employ `clocked' BT's, with annotations that convey information of the tempo in which the data in the BT are produced. Boehm Trees are thus enriched with an intrinsic clock behaviour, leading to a refined discrimination method for lambda-terms. The corresponding equality is strictly intermediate between beta-convertibility and Boehm Tree equality, the equality in the model P-omega. An analogous approach pertains to Levy-Longo and Berarducci Trees. Our refined Boehm Trees find in particular an application in beta-discriminating fixed point combinators (fpc's). It turns out that Scott's equation BY = BYS is the key to unlocking a plethora of fpc's, generated by a variety of production schemes of which the simplest was found by Boehm, stating that new fpc's are obtained by postfixing the term SI, also known as Smullyan's Owl. We prove that all these newly generated fpc's are indeed new, by considering their clocked BT's. Even so, not all pairs of new fpc's can be discriminated this way. For that purpose we increase the discrimination power by a precision of the clock notion that we call `atomic clock'.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1002.257