computer science

Interactive computation

Interactive computation is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Interactive computation rather than just read about it. In short: In computer science, interactive computation is a mathematical model for computation that involves input/output communication with the external world during computation. Uses Among the currently studied mathematical models of computation that attempt to capture interaction are Giorgi Japaridze's hard- and easy-play machines elaborated within the framework of computability logic, Dina Q.

Key takeaways

Interactive computation belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Interactive computation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Interactive computation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computer science, interactive computation is a mathematical model for computation that involves input/output communication with the external world during computation.

Uses Among the currently studied mathematical models of computation that attempt to capture interaction are Giorgi Japaridze's hard- and easy-play machines elaborated within the framework of computability logic, Dina Q. Goldin's Persistent Turing Machines (PTMs), and Yuri Gurevich's abstract state machines. Peter Wegner has additionally done a great deal of work on this area of computer science .

See also Cirquent calculus Computability logic Game semantics Human-based computation Hypercomputation Interactive programming Membrane computing Quasi-empiricism RE (complexity) Super-recursive algorithm

References Interactive Computation: The New Paradigm ISBN 3-540-34666-X. Edited by D. Goldin, S. Smolka and P. Wegner. Springer, 2006. D. Goldin, Persistent Turing Machines as a model of interactive computation. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1762, pp. 116-135. D. Goldin, S. Smolka, P. Attie, E. Sonderegger, Turing Machines, Transition Systems, and Interaction. J. Information and Computation 194:2 (2004), pp. 101-128 P. Wegner, Interactive foundations of computing. Theoretical Computer Science 192 (1998), pp. 315-351.

External links Abstract State Machines OUT DATED 2009 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_state_machine }

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Interactive computation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Interactive computation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Interactive computation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Interactive computation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Interactive computation

In research: Interactive computation appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Interactive computation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Interactive computation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Theoretical computer science, Theory of computation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Interactive computation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Interactive computation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Interactive computation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Interactive computation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Interactive computation in simple terms?

In computer science, interactive computation is a mathematical model for computation that involves input/output communication with the external world during computation. Uses Among the currently studied mathematical models of computation that attempt to capture interaction are Giorgi Japaridze's ha…

Why does Interactive computation matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Interactive computation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Interactive computation.