Self modifying code, lambda calculus - Re: ENIAC programming

Dave G4UGM dave.g4ugm at gmail.com
Thu Sep 17 02:30:51 CDT 2015


Crispin states this in the paper and says:-

The proof that actual modification of instructions is required for all
possible problems is contained in C.C. Elgot and A. Robinson,
''Random-Access
Stored-Program Machines, An Approach to Programming Languages,'' J. ACM,
vol. 11, no. 4, 1964, p. 397

I didn't follow up the reference I guess I should.....
... and those of you who are interested in reading about early computing may
enjoy this article about 

"CSIR Mark 1/CSIRAC : Australia's First Computer"

http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/res/res67.htm#d

I found it interesting...

Dave Wade

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of ben
> Sent: 17 September 2015 04:37
> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: Self modifying code, lambda calculus - Re: ENIAC programming
> 
> On 9/16/2015 9:25 PM, Toby Thain wrote:
> > On 2015-09-16 6:18 PM, Dave G4UGM wrote:
> >>
> >> ...
> >> It is notable that in order to solve all problems, a computer must
> >> permit self modifying code.
> >
> >
> > Is that true? AFAIK Lambda calculus can describe any computable
> > function (as can a Turing machine), and it has no concept of "self
modifying
> code".
> 
> I never studied any of that, but you do have to LOAD and RUN the program
> ToSolveAnythingBut42
> some how so I guess that would count AS Self Modifying Code.
> > --Toby



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