Exam-style question
Try this first
Which statement best describes the general task associated with the Halting problem?.
- A.A program must determine whether one fixed program stops on one fixed input
- B.A program must determine whether any program stops for a particular input
- C.A programmer must remove every loop from a program before running it
- D.A programmer must count the number of instructions in a program
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- A program must determine whether any program stops for a particular input
Explanation
Why this works
The problem is general: it asks whether any program will eventually stop when given particular input. It is not limited to one predetermined program and input.
Common mistake
No common mistake is linked to this question yet.