Editing Turing machine (section)

===1970–present: as a model of computation===
Today, the counter, register and random-access machines and their sire the Turing machine continue to be the models of choice for theorists investigating questions in the [[theory of computation]]. In particular, [[computational complexity theory]] makes use of the Turing machine:

{{blockquote|Depending on the objects one likes to manipulate in the computations (numbers like nonnegative integers or alphanumeric strings), two models have obtained a dominant position in machine-based complexity theory:
<blockquote>''the off-line multitape Turing machine''..., which represents the standard model for string-oriented computation, and

the ''random access machine (RAM)'' as introduced by Cook and Reckhow ..., which models the idealised Von Neumann-style computer.</blockquote>|van Emde Boas 1990:4}}
{{blockquote|Only in the related area of analysis of algorithms this role is taken over by the RAM model.|van Emde Boas 1990:16}}