For the given effective enumeration of partial computable functions, the diagonal halting set is
A many-one reduction is a total computable function such that
The S-m-n theorem states that for every there is a total computable function satisfying
whenever either side is defined.
Suppose first that is recursively enumerable. Choose a program that halts exactly on inputs in , and let index a two-variable program that, on , ignores and runs that program on . By the S-m-n theorem,
is total computable and indexes the unary function
Therefore
Thus .
Conversely, suppose through a total computable . On input , compute and simulate machine on its own code. This procedure halts exactly when , equivalently exactly when . Hence is recursively enumerable. We have proved the many-one completeness of the halting problem:
Finally, use the stated fact that and define
Then , so . The total computable map satisfies
and therefore . This is a distinct representative of the halting many-one degree.
For an effective enumeration of the computably enumerable languages, the diagonal halting problem is
Equivalently, if is the unary partial function coded by , then
Thus is the diagonal halting set.
Undecidable decision problem Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
A decision problem for which no algorithm terminates with the correct yes-or-no answer on every input. For example, if the diagonal halting set had a decision algorithm, a program could halt on its own code exactly when that algorithm says it does not halt, producing a contradiction. An undecidable decision problem may still admit a partial procedure that terminates on every yes-instance.