On the Classification of Recursive Languages

Abstract

A one-sided classifier for a given class of languages converges to 1 on every language from the class and outputs 0 infinitely often on languages outside the class. A two-sided classifier, on the other hand, converges to 1 on languages from the class and converges to 0 on languages outside the class. The present paper investigates one-sided and two-sided classification for classes of recursive languages. Theorems are presented that help assess the classifiability of natural classes. The relationships of classification to inductive learning theory and to structural complexity theory in terms of Turing degrees are studied. Furthermore, the special case of classification from only positive data is also investigated.