Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Ωmega Number

The UM6P France recently hosted a celebration to mark a significant milestone in the history of mathematics and computer science: the 50th anniversary of the halting probability Omega, also recognized as Chaitin’s constant. The event took place at 18:00 on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at the Paris venue.

Originally introduced in 1974 by Gregory Chaitin in his influential paper “A theory of program size formally identical to information theory,” Omega has profoundly impacted our understanding of randomness and complexity within theoretical computer science. Its philosophical underpinnings can be traced back to Leibniz’s “Discours de métaphysique” in 1686 and Émile Borel’s concept of the know-it-all real number from 1927.

The UM6P Institute for Advanced Studies was honored to host this special reception, which brought together leading minds from diverse disciplines to reflect on Omega’s legacy and explore its future implications across philosophical mathematics and related fields. The event was a must-attend for anyone engaged in or fascinated by the intricate depths of theoretical knowledge.

To deepen your understanding of Omega and its historical significance, please consult the IAS volume “Philosophical Mathematics: Infinity, Incompleteness, Irreducibility,” available at https://uba.academia.edu/GregoryChaitin.