Visual Turing Machine

Ian Hodkinson Room 426 Email imh

VTM involves implementing a Turing machine simulator to help teach students on the 2nd year algorithms course how to program them. It should therefore be very user-friendly and simple to use, and have copious help. Notation used should conform with the course. Requirements include

Support for multiple tracks and tapes.
Various alphabets (using keyboard characters).
high-level language to design TMs. eg.
read curent char into X while current char is not blank move right end while write X halt
Sample TMs (eg palindrome detector) should be written and loadable-in from files
If feasible, support for running 2 TMs simultaneously, so as to illustrate simulation of 2-tape TM by a 1-tape TM
Help system might stretch to including parts of my 2nd year notes, photos and material from sound archives on Turing - as you will.

Implementation should ideally be in HTML for www use; otherwise, PC would be good. Reason: may be able to make the package available for wide external use as educational tool.

Advise you compare some other available simulators & see how they can be improved. Up Home