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by tuatoru
1248 days ago
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This (no smallest positive element of Q) is sensible. But how can you have a procedure that requires making an infinite number of choices?[1] It's not an algorithm; they have to terminate. 1. Wikipedia explanation of the axiom of choice. |
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Also, algorithms that don't terminate are still algorithms - especially if they keep emitting pieces of a solution, instead of producing the whole solution at the end.
For example, here is an algorithm for printing all of the natural numbers:
Finally, computability is not typically considered necessary for a mathematical construct to exist or be useful. Just like geometry sometimes studies shapes that can't be constructed in the physical world, other kinds of mathematics sometimes studies concepts that can't be computed (at least not given known models of computation).