Computability

This paper investigates the algorithmic dimension spectra of lines in the Euclidean plane. Given any line L with slope a and vertical intercept b, the dimension spectrum sp ( L ) is the set of all effective Hausdorff dimensions of individual points on L. We draw on Kolmogorov complexity and geometrical arguments to show that if the effective Hausdorff dimension dim ( a , b ) is equal to the effective packing dimension Dim ( a , b ) , then sp ( L ) contains a unit interval. We also show that, if the dimension dim ( a , b ) is at least one, then sp ( L ) is infinite. Together with previous work, this implies that the dimension spectrum of any line is infinite.

Consider two paths ϕ , ψ : [ 0 ; 1 ] → [ 0 ; 1 ] 2 in the unit square such that ϕ ( 0 ) = ( 0 , 0 ) , ϕ ( 1 ) = ( 1 , 1 ) , ψ ( 0 ) = ( 0 , 1 ) and ψ ( 1 ) = ( 1 , 0 ) . By continuity of ϕ and ψ there is a point of intersection. We prove that from ϕ and ψ we can compute closed intervals S ϕ , S ψ ⊆ [ 0 ; 1 ] such that ϕ ( S ϕ ) = ψ ( S ψ ) .

We study relative precompleteness in the context of the theory of numberings, and relate this to a notion of lowness. We introduce a notion of divisibility for numberings, and use it to show that for the class of divisible numberings, lowness and relative precompleteness coincide with being computable.

We also study the complexity of Skolem functions arising from Arslanov’s completeness criterion with parameters. We show that for suitably divisible numberings, these Skolem functions have the maximal possible Turing degree. In particular this holds for the standard numberings of the partial computable functions and the c.e. sets.

As a form of the Axiom of Choice about relatively simple structures (posets), Hausdorff’s Maximal Chain Principle appears to be little amenable to computational interpretation. This received view, however, requires revision: maximal chains are more reminiscent of maximal ideals than it seems at first glance. The latter live in richer algebraic structures (rings), and thus are readier to be put under computational scrutiny. Exploiting this, and of course the analogy between maximal chains and maximal ideals, the concept of Jacobson radical carries over from a ring to an arbitrary set with an abstract inconsistency predicate: that is, a distinguished monotone family of finite subsets. All this makes possible not only to generalise Hausdorff’s principle, but also to express it as a syntactical conservation theorem. The latter, which encompasses the desired computational core of Hausdorff’s principle, is obtained by a generalised inductive definition. The over-all setting is constructive set theory.