On the Complexity of the Bi-infinite Post Correspondence Problem

Abstract

In the bi-infinite Post Correspondence Problem ($\mathbb{Z}$PCP), it is asked whether the same bi-infinite word can be constructed correspondingly from a given finite set of pairs of words. In this article, we study its complexity with respect to the arithmetical hierarchy and prove that it is in $\Si^0_2 \setminus (Π^0_1 \cup \Si^0_1)$ and, therefore, at the level 2 of the arithmetical hierarchy. For the proof, we present a sequence of reductions starting from the nonhalting of the Turing machine all the way to $\mathbb{Z}$PCP via infinite PCP, an $s$-shift infinite PCP and $s$-shift $\mathbb{Z}$PCP for all natural numbers $s$. In the process, we prove that the infinite PCP is undecidable for injective morphisms, and that the infinite injective PCP, $s$-shift infinite PCP, $s$-shift $\mathbb{Z}$PCP and the non-termination problem for (deterministic and reversible) semi-Thue systems are all ${\Pi }_1^0$-complete.