In computability theory, a set S of natural numbers is called computably enumerable (c.e.), recursively enumerable (r.e.), semidecidable, partially decidable, listable, provable or Turing-recognizable if:
There is an algorithm such that the set of input numbers for which the algorithm halts is exactly S.
Or, equivalently,
There is an algorithm that enumerates the members of S. That means that its output is a list of all the members of S: s1, s2, s3, ... . If S is infinite, this algorithm will run forever, but each element of S will be returned after a finite amount of time. Note that these elements do not have to be listed in a particular way, say from smallest to largest.
The first condition suggests why the term semidecidable is sometimes used. More precisely, if a number is in the set, one can decide this by running the algorithm, but if the number is not in the set, the algorithm can run forever, and no information is returned. A set that is "completely decidable" is a computable set. The second condition suggests why computably enumerable is used. The abbreviations c.e. and r.e. are often used, even in print, instead of the full phrase.
A set S of natural numbers is called computably enumerable if there is a partial computable function whose domain is exactly S, meaning that the function is defined if and only if its input is a member of S.
Equivalent formulations
The following are all equivalent properties of a set S of natural numbers:
Semidecidability:
The set S is computably enumerable. That is, S is the domain (co-range) of a partial computable function.
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↑ Dimitrov, Rumen D.; Harizanov, Valentina (2017), "The Lattice of Computably Enumerable Vector Spaces" , Day, Adam; Fellows, Michael; Greenberg, Noam; Khoussainov, Bakhadyr (eds.), Computability and Complexity: Essays Dedicated to Rodney G. Downey on the Occasion of His 60th Birthday , Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 366–393 , doi : 10.1007/978-3-319-50062-1_23 , ISBN978-3-319-50062-12026年5月17日取得