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    "It is possible to model a single OOP object as finite state machine". True, but weak. It's not "possible". It's a matter of definition. A programming language's job is to express an FSM in a tidy notation. OOP is an implementation of an FSM with simpler notation for all the various states. Commented Jul 22, 2011 at 11:22
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    @S.Lott - Yes, but most people don't think of an OOP object as expressing an FSM, at least not most of the time. Using the name "state machine" tends to imply that you're using some specific implementation, such as the state design pattern or a state-ID member variable. "Modelling as a state machine" often also implies something about the specification or design documentation, distinct from the implementation of that class. Therefore, modelling a class as a finite state model subjectively means something other than just providing the source code for the class. Commented Jul 22, 2011 at 11:34
  • "people don't think". True. And a deep problem. All programs are state machines. They have a lot of states. That's what the "Turing Complete" test for a programming language requires. It's a very, very strong (and absolute) rule. Rather than suggest it's "possible", it's more like "necessary" and "sufficient". Commented Jul 22, 2011 at 11:37
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    -1: Push-down automata are NOT as powerful as Turing machines. Commented Jun 2, 2014 at 17:54
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    @kevin cline - thanks - and what was I thinking!!! Edited to strike that bit out. Despite what I said about formal study, I know better than that and should have known better back then. Commented Jun 3, 2014 at 16:15