Solovay showed that there are noncomputable reals ff such that H(ff _ n) 6 H(1n) + O(1), where H is prefix-free Kolmogorov complexity. Such H-trivial reals are interesting due to the connection between algorithmic complexity and effective randomness. We give a new, easier construction of an H-trivial real. We also analyze various computability-theoretic properties of the H-trivial reals, showing for example that no H-trivial real can compute the halting problem. Therefore, our construction of an H-trivial computably enumerable set is an easy, injury-free construction of an incomplete computably enumerable set. Finally, we relate the H-trivials to other classes of "highly nonrandom " reals that have been previously studied.

We discuss some aspects of algorithmic randomness and state some open problems in this area. The first part is devoted to the question "What is a computably random sequence?" Here we survey some of the approaches to algorithmic randomness and address some questions on these concepts. In the second part we look at the Turing degrees of Martin-Lof random sets. Finally, in the third part we deal with relativized randomness. Here we look at oracles which do not change randomness. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 03D80; Secondary 03D28. 1 Introduction Formalizations of the intuitive notions of computability and randomness are among the major achievements in the foundations of mathematics in the 20th century. It is commonly accepted that various equivalent formal computability notions -- like Turing computability or -recursiveness -- which were introduced in the 1930s and 1940s adequately capture computability in the intuitive sense. This belief is expressed in the w...

We study computably enumerable reals (i.e. their left cut is computably enumerable) in terms of their spectra of representations and presentations.

We give a direct and rather simple construction of Martin-Löf random and rec-random sets with certain additional properties. First, reviewing the result of Gacs and Kucera, given any set X we construct a Martin-Löf random set R from which X can be decoded effectively. Second, by essentially the same construction we obtain a Martin-Löf random set R that is computably enumerable selfreducible. Alternatively, using the observation that a set is computably enumerable selfreducible if and only if its associated real is computably enumerable, the existence of such a set R follows from the known fact that every Chaitin real is Martin-Löf random and computably enumerable. Third, by a variant of the basic construction we obtain a rec-random set that is weak truthtable autoreducible. The mentioned results on self- and autoreducibility complement work of Ebert, Merkle, and Vollmer [7-9], from which it follows that no Martin-Löf random set is Turing-autoreducible and that no rec-random set is truth-table autoreducible.

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We investigate notions of randomness in the space C[2 N] of nonempty closed subsets of {0, 1} N. A probability measure is given and a version of the Martin-Löf test for randomness is defined. Π 0 2 random closed sets exist but there are no random Π 0 1 closed sets. It is shown that any random 4 closed set is perfect, has measure 0, and has box dimension log2. A 3 random closed set has no n-c.e. elements. A closed subset of 2 N may be defined as the set of infinite paths through a tree and so the problem of compressibility of trees is explored. If Tn = T ∩ {0, 1} n, then for any random closed set [T] where T has no dead ends, K(Tn) ≥ n − O(1) but for any k, K(Tn) ≤ 2 n−k + O(1), where K(σ) is the prefix-free complexity of σ ∈ {0, 1} ∗.

Abstract. We investigate the connections between the complexity of a c.e. set, as calibrated by its strength as an oracle for Turing computations of functions in the Ershov hierarchy, and how strong reducibilities allows us to compute such sets. For example, we prove that a c.e. degree is totally ω-c.e. iff every set in it is weak truth-table reducible to a hypersimple, or ranked, set. We also show that a c.e. degree is array computable iff every left-c.e. real of that degree is reducible in a computable Lipschitz way to a random left-c.e. real (an Ω-number). 1.

Abstract. We show that there is a low T-upper bound for the class of Ktrivial sets, namely those which are weak from the point of view of algorithmic randomness. This result is a special case of a more general characterization of ideals in ∆0 2 T-degrees for which there is a low T-upper bound. 1.

Abstract. Demuth tests generalize Martin-Löf tests (Gm)m∈N in that one can exchange the m-th component for a computably bounded number of times. A set Z ⊆ N fails a Demuth test if Z is in infinitely many final versions of the Gm. If we only allow Demuth tests such that Gm ⊇ Gm+1 for each m, we have weak Demuth randomness. We show that a weakly Demuth random set can be high, yet not superhigh. Next, any c.e. set Turing below a Demuth random set is strongly jump-traceable. We also prove a basis theorem for non-empty Π 0 1 classes P. It extends the Jockusch-Soare basis theorem that some member of P is computably dominated. We use the result to show that some weakly 2-random set does not compute a 2-fixed point free function. 1.

Abstract. Demuth tests generalize Martin-Löf tests (Gm)m∈N in that one can exchange the m-th component a computably bounded number of times. A set Z ⊆ N fails a Demuth test if Z is in infinitely many final versions of the Gm. If we only allow Demuth tests such that Gm ⊇ Gm+1 for each m, we have weak Demuth randomness. We show that a weakly Demuth random set can be high and ∆ 0 2, yet not superhigh. Next, any c.e. set Turing below a Demuth random set is strongly jump-traceable. We also prove a basis theorem for non-empty Π 0 1 classes P. It extends the Jockusch-Soare basis theorem that some member of P is computably dominated. We use the result to show that some weakly 2-random set does not compute a 2-fixed point free function. 1.