Game interpretation of Kolmogorov complexity
Abstract
The Kolmogorov complexity function K can be relativized using any oracle A, and most properties of K remain true for relativized versions. In section 1 we provide an explanation for this observation by giving a game-theoretic interpretation and showing that all "natural" properties are either true for all sufficiently powerful oracles or false for all sufficiently powerful oracles. This result is a simple consequence of Martin's determinacy theorem, but its proof is instructive: it shows how one can prove statements about Kolmogorov complexity by constructing a special game and a winning strategy in this game. This technique is illustrated by several examples (total conditional complexity, bijection complexity, randomness extraction, contrasting plain and prefix complexities).
- Publication:
-
arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- March 2010
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1003.4712
- Bibcode:
- 2010arXiv1003.4712M
- Keywords:
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- Mathematics - Logic;
- Computer Science - Computer Science and Game Theory;
- Computer Science - Information Theory;
- 68Q30;
- F.4.1
- E-Print:
- 11 pages. Presented in 2009 at the conference on randomness in Madison.