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After crafting numerous lines of code, have you ever wondered how the CPU handles the command a = 1 + 2?
While you’ve worked with a variety of software, are you familiar with the distinctions between the 32-bit and 64-bit variants? Can you run a 32-bit operating system on a 64-bit machine? On the other hand, is it possible for a 64-bit operating system to function on a 32-bit machine? If it’s not feasible, why is that?
Turing Machine
To answer the above questions and the way programs are executed, we can start by exploring the concept of the “Turing Machine”. Turing’s fundamental idea was to use machines to mimic the mathematical calculations people do with paper and pen. He also defined the components of a computer and how a program is executed.
The Turing Machine is composed of the following primary elements:
- A “tape” structured with sequential cells. Each of these cells can contain a character. Think of this tape as analogous to computer memory, where the characters in its cells represent either data or program instructions.
- A “read-write head” serves the…
