Solution to a Problem of Spector

Abstract

In [6, p. 586] Spector asked whether given a number e there exists a unary partial function from the natural numbers into {0, 1} with coinfinite domain such that for any function ƒ into {0, 1} extending it is the case thatWe answer this question affirmatively in Corollary 1 below and show that can be made partial recursive (p.r.) with recursive domain. The reader who is familiar with Spector's paper [6] will find the new trick that is required in the first paragraph of the proof of Lemma 2 below.From one point of view, this is a theorem about trees which branch twice at every node. We shall formulate a generalization which applies to trees which branch n times at every node.