Results of the use of a recursive function translator

摘要

A recursive function interpreter was used to good effect in an undergraduate course in elementary automata theory. Although the functions were translated into combinations of Turing machines, the interpreter is not to be construed to be a Turing Table processor. The results in this paper reflect both the author's subjective judgment, and the compilation of statistics from a questionnaire given to the students.

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The primary effect was not the understanding of Turing machines or recursive functions but rather the enthusiasm for such study evidenced by the computer science students taking the course. The evaluation of the interpreter is an on-going process, extending even to students on the sophomore and junior level.

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This paper describes both the simulator and the effects of its use, as well as some general principles concerning such devices.