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Add CI pipeline, 15-test suite, enhanced README
- GitHub Actions CI: Python 3.10/3.11/3.12, pytest, smoke tests - Tests: tape representation, incrementer, even/odd, halt detection, step limits, missing transitions, stay direction - README with badges, theory section, machine creation docs Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> RoadChain-SHA2048: d4d129eaf6941a81 RoadChain-Identity: alexa@sovereign RoadChain-Full: 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README.md
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README.md
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> ⚗️ **Research Repository**
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>
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> This is an experimental/research repository. Code here is exploratory and not production-ready.
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> For production systems, see [BlackRoad-OS](https://github.com/BlackRoad-OS).
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---
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# Universal Computer
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This repository contains an implementation of a **universal Turing machine** in Python. A universal Turing machine is a theoretical device capable of simulating any other Turing machine. In other words, it can compute anything that is computable. The implementation here is simple and educational; it demonstrates the principles of universality and emulation in a compact form.
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[](https://github.com/blackboxprogramming/universal-computer/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
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[](https://python.org)
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[](LICENSE)
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## Overview
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A universal Turing machine simulator in Python. Demonstrates the foundational concept of computability: a single machine that can simulate any other Turing machine.
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The core of the project is a Turing machine simulator that reads a description of another machine and an input tape, then executes that machine's transition function step by step. The simulator supports tapes of unbounded length in both directions and maintains a set of states, including a halting state. The universal machine itself accepts programs encoded as tables of transitions.
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## How It Works
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### Features
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A Turing machine has a tape (infinite in both directions), a read/write head, a set of states, and a transition function. Given a state and the symbol under the head, the machine writes a new symbol, moves left/right/stay, and transitions to a new state. It halts when it reaches the halt state.
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- **Tape representation:** The tape is implemented as a Python dictionary mapping integer positions to symbols. Positions not present in the dictionary are assumed to hold a blank symbol (`'_'`).
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- **Transition function:** Each transition is a mapping from `(current_state, current_symbol)` to `(next_state, write_symbol, move_direction)`, where `move_direction` is `'L'`, `'R'`, or `'S'` (stay).
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- **Machine description format:** Machine descriptions are loaded from JSON files. A description includes the set of states, the input alphabet, the blank symbol, the transition function, the start state, and the halting state.
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- **Simulation:** The simulator runs the machine until it reaches the halting state or exceeds a configurable step limit. It yields the final tape contents and the number of steps executed.
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This implementation uses:
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- **Dictionary-based tape** -- positions map to symbols, missing positions are blank
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- **JSON machine descriptions** -- portable, human-readable definitions
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- **Configurable step limit** -- prevents infinite loops
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### Running the simulator
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## Usage
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To use the universal Turing machine, first prepare a JSON file describing the machine you want to simulate (see `machines/` for examples), then run:
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```
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python3 utm.py machines/your_machine.json --tape "your input tape here"
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```
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For example, to run a binary incrementer:
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```
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```bash
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# Increment binary number: 1101 (13) -> 1110 (14)
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python3 utm.py machines/incrementer.json --tape "1101"
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# Check parity
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python3 utm.py machines/even_odd.json --tape "1111"
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```
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This will increment the binary number `1101` (13) to `1110` (14).
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## Included Machines
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## Directory structure
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| Machine | File | Description |
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|---------|------|-------------|
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| Binary Incrementer | `incrementer.json` | Adds 1 to a binary number |
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| Even/Odd | `even_odd.json` | Determines parity of a unary number |
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- `utm.py` – the universal Turing machine simulator.
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- `machines/` – sample machine descriptions in JSON format.
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- `README.md` – this file.
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## Creating Your Own Machine
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## Sample machines
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```json
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{
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"states": ["q0", "q1", "halt"],
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"alphabet": ["0", "1"],
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"blank": "_",
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"transitions": {
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"q0:0": ["q0", "0", "R"],
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"q0:1": ["q1", "1", "R"],
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"q0:_": ["halt", "_", "S"]
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},
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"start": "q0",
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"halt": "halt"
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}
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```
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The repository includes a few sample machine descriptions:
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Each transition key is `"state:symbol"` mapping to `[next_state, write_symbol, direction]` where direction is `L` (left), `R` (right), or `S` (stay).
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- `incrementer.json` – a machine that increments a binary number.
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- `even_odd.json` – a machine that decides whether a unary number has an even or odd number of symbols.
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## Development
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Feel free to add more machines to the `machines/` directory to explore the power of Turing machines!
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```bash
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pip install pytest
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pytest tests/ -v
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```
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## Theory
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Alan Turing proved in 1936 that a universal Turing machine can compute anything that any Turing machine can compute. Every computer is a physical realization of this idea.
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## License
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This project is released under the MIT License. See `LICENSE` for details.
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Proprietary -- BlackRoad OS, Inc.
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