11

An oracle machine as defined by Alan Turing is a Turing machine connected to an oracle which can solve non-computable problems in a single operation, most famously the halting problem. The halting problem is the problem of determining whether any arbitrary computer program will eventually halt or continue to loop forever.

I'm wondering if the Oracle character in the series could be seen as inspired by this concept, but I can't remember the plot well enough to determine.

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    It seems unlikely. There were very few references to genuine computer science in the movie, and that reference would be particularly obscure.
    – Jeff-Inventor ChromeOS
    Aug 10, 2014 at 5:28

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
6

The Oracle's main function is to counterbalance the Architect. It was the Oracle and the Architect who built The Matrix, and the events in the trilogy are actually taking place in the third Matrix, as the first 2 failed. The Oracle stands for free will, whereas the Architect stands for order. As a result, I'd find it difficult to tie Turing's oracle into the plot.

Improve this answer
7
  • 4
    Turing's oracle has nothing to do with free will.
    – Johnny Bones
    Aug 9, 2014 at 15:06
  • 2
    Please re-read the Wiki on Turing and Oracle. Your understanding of them is completely wrong. It would make more sense to base the character on the definition of "Oracle" in Webster's dictionary.
    – Johnny Bones
    Aug 9, 2014 at 16:12
  • 2
    "An oracle machine can be conceived as a Turing machine connected to an oracle. The oracle, in this context, is an entity capable of solving some problem, which for example may be a decision problem or a function problem." And so, Turing's machine requires an oracle. For all intents and purposes, an oracle is defined by Webster's, so why would a character in a movie be based on some hypothetical machine that has nothing to do with the oracle, but needs an oracle to operate?
    – Johnny Bones
    Aug 9, 2014 at 16:54
  • @svenoaks Rather they were aware of Greek mythology or whatever else general and universally known definition of what an oracle is.
    – Napoleon Wilson ♦
    Aug 9, 2014 at 17:59
  • @JohnnyBones Feel free to add your recent insights from the comments into the answer.
    – Napoleon Wilson ♦
    Aug 9, 2014 at 17:59
1

As a matter of fact, oracles would allow Turing machines to go beyond logic, since they're able to solve problems in constant time; that relates them to imagination or freedom of will and thus to the Oracle in the movie. Of course, it's not an implementation, but it's plausible enough.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .