GETdetermines

GETdetermines is a theoretical concept in computer science and logic that explores the limitations of what can be known or computed, particularly in relation to the "getting" or obtaining of information. It posits that there are certain states or outcomes that, while potentially existing, are inherently unknowable or unachievable through any deterministic process. This concept is often discussed in the context of computability theory, where it touches upon undecidable problems.

The core idea behind GETdetermines is that even if a system is fully deterministic, meaning its future states are completely determined by its current state and rules, there can still be aspects of that system that are beyond our ability to determine or predict. This is not due to randomness, but rather to fundamental informational barriers. For example, a Turing machine might be designed to halt on some inputs and run forever on others. Determining, in advance, whether any arbitrary Turing machine will halt on a given input is an undecidable problem, illustrating a form of GETdetermines.

In essence, GETdetermines highlights a distinction between what is causally determined and what is epistemically determinable. A process might be entirely predictable in theory, but the act of obtaining that prediction might be impossible within the system itself or within a practical computational framework. This concept has implications for fields ranging from artificial intelligence and philosophy of mind to the foundations of mathematics.