Question: Suppose you are given a Turing machine T (you have the transition diagram), and you are watching T processing an input string. At each step

Suppose you are given a Turing machine T (you have the transition diagram), and you are watching T processing an input string. At each step you can see the configuration of the TM: the state, the tape contents, and the tape head position.

a. Suppose that for some n, the tape head does not move past square n while you are watching. If the pattern continues, will you be able to conclude at some point that the TM is in an infinite loop? If so, what is the longest you might need to watch in order to draw this conclusion?

b. Suppose that in each move you observe, the tape head moves right. If the pattern continues, will you be able to conclude at some point that the TM is in an infinite loop? If so, what is the longest you might need to watch in order to draw this conclusion?

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