GateAI
Turing Machines and Undecidability

GATE CSE 2014 Set 2 · Q35

MCQ2 marksMedium

Time

Let ⟨M⟩\langle M \rangle be the encoding of a Turing machine as a string over Σ={0,1}\Sigma = \{0,1\}. Let L={⟨M⟩∣M is a Turing machine that accepts a string of length 2014}L = \{\langle M \rangle \mid M\text{ is a Turing machine that accepts a string of length 2014}\}. Then, LL is

Select one answerSingle correct

Pick an option to check

Solution

Step-by-step verified solution

Official answer: B) undecidable but recursively enumerable

Turing Machines and Undecidability
  1. Undecidability (Rice's Theorem): The property "MM accepts at least one string of length 2014" is a non-trivial property of the language recognized by MM, L(M)L(M):

    • There exists a Turing machine M1M_1 that accepts {0,1}2014\{0,1\}^{2014}, so ⟨M1⟩∈L\langle M_1 \rangle \in L.

    • There exists a Turing machine M2M_2 with L(M2)=∅L(M_2) = \emptyset, so ⟨M2⟩∉L\langle M_2 \rangle \notin L.

    By Rice's Theorem, testing non-trivial semantic properties of Turing machine languages is undecidable.

  2. Turing Recognizability / Recursive Enumerability: We can construct a Turing machine M′M^{\prime} that recognizes LL using dovetailed simulation:

    • The set of strings of length 2014 is finite: there are 220142^{2014} such strings, say w1,w2,…,wkw_1, w_2, \dots, w_k.

    • For s=1,2,3,…s = 1, 2, 3, \dots, simulate MM on each string wiw_i for ss steps.

    • If MM accepts any string wiw_i, M′M^{\prime} halts and accepts ⟨M⟩\langle M \rangle.

    • If MM never accepts any string of length 2014, M′M^{\prime} runs forever.

    Thus, LL is semi-decidable (recursively enumerable).

Hence, LL is undecidable but recursively enumerable, corresponding to option (B).

Try the question first, then check your work.

Think the official key or this write-up is wrong?

Report error or challenge

Examiner trap

The misconception this question tests

This Turing Machines and Undecidability previous year question is Q35 of the GATE CSE 2014 Set 2 paper. Find more GATE CSE PYQs on Turing Machines and Undecidability in Theory of Computation, or browse all GATE CSE PYQs.

Free diagnostic

Where do you stand for GATE?

Take the 20-minute diagnostic: the 3 topics that cost you the most marks, and a rank range. Or sit 5 related Turing Machines and Undecidability PYQs now with no account.

One GATE CSE PYQ every morning

An official question by email at 7 AM IST, with a link to its verified solution. Unsubscribe in one click.

Turing Machines and Undecidability in GATE CSE

Turing Machines and Undecidability has 30 GATE CSE PYQs across 20 papers from 2012 to 2026. 13 of them are 2-mark MCQs like this one, and GATE CSE 2014 Set 2 has 2.

How GATE tests Turing Machines and Undecidability

More from GATE CSE 2014 Set 2

Share this solution

A plain-text card for WhatsApp or Telegram study groups.

GateAI solution cardGATE CSE 2014 Set 2 · Q35 · MCQ

Let M be the encoding of a Turing machine as a string over = {0,1}. Let L = { M M is a Turing machine that accepts a string of length 2014}. Then, L is

Topic-wise GATE CS PYQs with verified steps

Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.