We have a well developed theory that tells us what computations can and
can't be done by a Turing machine with a finite length of tape.
Please stick to the subject. The subject isn't computability, a domain in
which Turing Machines frequent, but run time complexity of algorithms,
of which you claimed where measured how fast they can be done on Turing
Machines - but then you later claimed that any device that couldn't be
build was irrelevant. But yeah, we could build a machine with a finite
tape. Now, how many of them do you have laying around?
But computer science is about computing, and things that compute are
computers, by definition.
Not everything that is about computing needs to be done by a "thing"!
Are you dismissing the majority of physics as well because the models they
use don't exist in the real world? It's Computer
SCIENCE
not electronics.
And what is computing? Pushing information around. The flow of information
is governed by information theory, which tells us that information
is very nearly a physical thing. We usually deal with information in
the form of bits, but it doesn't have to be stored that way. A given
quantity of information is going to take up a finite minimum amount
of time and space, no matter what you do with it. Getting as close as
possible to the minimum is an engineering problem that we'll be workng
on forever. But it's important to keep in mind that we're dealing with
stuff that's not infinitely compressible. Information is solid.
So what? Pushing bits around is indeed an engineering problem. Just
like getting measurements of stars, nebulae and planets is an
engineering problem, and has nothing to do with astronomy. Computer
Science isn't about how to move bits around - Computer Science is
about
where to move "the bits" to. And note that I'm
using quotes here, because Computer Science doesn't necessary deal with
physical bits. It all depends on your computational model what your
basic units are.
I don't think there's as much distinction as you think between "computer
science" and "computing science".
I'm sorry, but did I say there was any difference? I don't think so.
All I said was that some people think it's a better description of
the same thing.
Before, I said, "why talk about computers that can't possibly be
built?" Now, I say, "why talk about computations that can't possibly
be performed?
Sir, you have never been a scientist, you are not a scientist, and
you never will be a scientist. You just don't get it. If people always would
have had that attitude, we would still live in the stone age.
-- Abigail
