Chapter 2: Finite Automata

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1 Chapter 2: Finite Automata 2.1 States, State Diagrams, and Transitions Finite automaton is the simplest acceptor or recognizer for language specification. It is also the simplest model of a computer. A state is the condition with respect to structure, form, constitution, and phase. 1

2 2.2 Deterministic Finite Automata Definition A deterministic finite automaton (DFA) M is specified by a quintuple M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) where Q is an alphabet of state symbols; Σ is an alphabet of input symbols; δ : Q Σ Q is a transition function; s in Q is the start state; and F Q is a set of final states. 2

3 DFAs are intended to read input words and accept or reject them, that is they are recognizers. To see how DFAs do this we treat them from a machine-oriented viewpoint. Input tape Read head Cells Finite control 3

4 Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a DFA, then we view it as a machine (a primitive computer) which has an input tape (or file) of cells, a reading head, and a finite control: The finite control knows the transition function and the current state. The transition function and current state are analogous to a program and the current statement being executed (instruction counter). The input tape contains the input word, one symbol to each cell of the tape. 4

5 The DFA is initialized with an input word x as follows: 1. x is placed on the input tape one symbol to a cell. 2. The reading head is positioned over the leftmost cell. 3. The current state is set to s. 4. The DFA is started. 5

6 The DFA, once started, begins its computation on the input word. As with any computer it has a basic execute cycle: 1. The symbol under the reading head is read, that is, the current symbol. If there is no symbol under the reading head the DFA terminates. This occurs when the whole input word has been read. 2. The next state is computed from the current state and symbol using the transition function, that is δ(current state, current symbol)=next state. If the current state is undefined the DFA aborts. 3. The reading head moves one cell to the right. 4. The next state becomes the current state and the execute cycle has been completed. 6

7 Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a DFA. We say that a word in QΣ is a configuration of M. It represents the current state of M and the remaining unread input of M. A configuration of a DFA, M, contains all the information necessary to continue M s computation. In programming parlance it is equivalent to a dump of the current value of all variables of a program and the current position in the program. 7

8 Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a DFA. If px and qy are two configurations of M, then we write px qy, if x = ay for some a in Σ, and δ(p, a) = q. We say px yields qy. Observe that is a binary relation over QΣ For k 1, we write px k qy if k = 1 and px qy, or k > 1 and there exists a configuration rz such that px rz and rz k 1 qy. 8

9 We write px + qy, where + is the trsnsitive closure of, if px k qy, for some k 1. We write px qy, where is the reflexive trsnsitive closure of, if either px = qy or px + qy. We say that the sequence of configurations given by px qy is a configuration sequence. 9

10 We can formally define acceptance by a DFA and the language of a DFA as follows. Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a DFA. We say that a word x in Σ is accepted by M if sx f, for some f in F. We say that sx f is an accepting configuration sequence. A word that is not accepted is said to be rejected. The set of words accepted by M, called the language accepted, defined, or recognized by M is denoted by L(M) and is defined as L(M) = {x : x is in Σ and sx f, for some f in F }. 10

11 The notion of acceptance has caused DFA to stand for deterministic finite acceptor in some circles. We say that L Σ is a DFA language if there is a DFA, M, with L = L(M). The collection of all DFA languages is denoted by L DF A and is called the family of DFA languages. 11

12 DFA MEMBERSHIP INSTANCE: A DFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), and a word x in Σ. QUESTION: Is x in L(M)? Definition If the transition function of a DFA is total we say that the DFA is complete and otherwise we say it is incomplete. Every incomplete DFA can be transformed into a complete one while preserving its language. 12

13 Example Let L i = {a i b i }, i 1. Construct DFAs, M i, accepting L i, for each i 1. Let K = j=1 L j K = {a i b i, : i 1}. Claim: K is not a DFA language. There is a language that is not a DFA language. The family of all DFA language over Σ is enumerable. 13

14 Definition Let M 1 and M 2 be two DFAs. If L(M 1 ) = L(M 2 ) we say that M 1 and M 2 are equivalent. Theorem Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an incomplete DFA, that is, there is a pair (q, a) in Q Σ such that δ(q, a) = undef. Then a DFA M can be constructed such that M is complete and L(M ) = L(M). Consider a computer implementation of DFAs. 14

15 2.3 Nondeterministic Finite Automata Definition A nondeterministic finite automaton (NFA) M is specified by a quintuple M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) where Q is an alphabet of state symbols; Σ is an alphabet of input symbols; δ Q Σ Q is a transition relation; s in Q is the start state; and F Q is a set of final states. 15

16 For a triple (p, a, q) in δ, p corresponds to the current state, a to the current input symbol, and q to a next state. Clearly an NFA, (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), is a DFA if for all p in Q and all a in Σ, there is at most one triple (p, a, q) in δ, for some q. When we are unconcerned about a finite automaton being deterministic or nondeterministic we refer to it simply as an FA. Remark: It is sometimes convenient to consider the transition relation δ as a function, which, in general, gives state sets, that is δ : Q Σ 2 Q is defined by For all p in Q and for all a in Σ: δ(p, a) = {q : (p, a, q) is in δ}. 16

17 Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an NFA. A configuration of M is a word in QΣ, as for DFAs. Given two configurations px and qy of M, we write px qy in M if x = ay for some a in Σ and (p, a, q) is in δ. Similarly, we write px k qy in M if either k = 1, when 1 is identical to or x = az, for some a in Σ and some z in Σ +, and there is an r such that px rz and rz k 1 qy. We write px + qy if px k qy for some k 1, and, finally, px qy if either px = qy or px + qy. 17

18 Definition Given M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), an NFA, we say a word x in Σ is accepted if there is a configuration sequence sx q, for some q in F, and is rejected otherwise. The language of M, denoted by L(M) as before, is defined by L(M) = {x : x is in Σ and sx q, for some q in F }. A language L Σ is said to be an NFA language if there exists an NFA, M, with L = L(M) and we say two NFAs, M 1 and M 2, are equivalent if L(M 1 ) = L(M 2 ) and inequivalent otherwise. Finally, the family of NFA languages is denoted by L NF A. NFAs are simpler to define in many cases and, moreover, we can always construct a DFA from a given NFA which accepts exactly the same language. 18

19 Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an NFA. A super-configuration of M has the form Kx where K Q and x is in Σ. It means that K is the current set of states and x is the unread portion of the input word. The starting super-configuration for a word x in Σ is {s}x. We extend to super-configurations as follows. We say Kx Ny, for K, N Q and x, y in Σ, if x = ay, for some a in Σ, y in Σ, and N = {q : (p, a, q) is in δ, for some p in K}. We obtain + and as before and if Kx Ny we call it super-configuration sequence. Note that K K for all K Q and x, for all x in Σ. 19

20 Lemma Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an NFA. Then for all words x in Σ and for all K Q Kx N and Kx P implies P = N. Hence, M is deterministic with respect to super-configuration sequences. The above lemma tells us that there is a unique super-configuration sequence, begining with K, for each input word that is read completely. 20

21 Lemma Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an NFA. Then for all words x in Σ, and for all q in Q, qx p if and only if {q}x P, for some P with p in P. Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an NFA and x a word in Σ. We say x is accepted by M if {s}x P, for some P with P F, otherwise x is rejected. 21

22 Algorithm NFA to DFA - The Subset Construction. On entry: An NFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ). On exit: A DFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) satisfying L(M) = L(M ). begin Let Q = 2 Q, s = {s}, and F = {K : K Q and K F }. We define δ : Q Σ Q by For all K Q and for all a in Σ, δ (K, a) = N if Ka N in M end of Algorithm. 22

23 Theorem Given an NFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), then the DFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), obtained by either subset construction satisfies L(M) = L(M ). Theorem L DF A = L NF A. Thus, NFAs have the some expressive power as DFAs. 23

24 2.4 Minimization and Simplification Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be an NFA. A state q in Q is reachable or accessible if there exists a word x in Σ such that sx q. If no such word exists q is said to be unreachable or inaccessible. A state q in Q is useful if there exists a word x in Σ such that qx r, for some state r in F. Similarly q is useless if no such word exists. A symbol a in Σ is (symbol) reachable if there exists a reachable state q in Q for which δ(q, a). 24

25 Definition Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a DFA. For two distinct states p and q in Q we say p and q are distinguishable if there exists an x in Σ such that px f, qx g and exactly one of f and g is in F. The word x distinguishes p from q. If no such word exists then p and q are indistingushable and we write p q, since ther are equivalent in their action as far as acceptance is concerned. Indeed, they can be merged without affecting the language accepted by M. This forms the basis of the minimization for which we need to refine the notion of indistingushable. Given an integer k 0, we say two distinct states p and q in Q are k-distindushable if there is a word x in Σ, x k, which distindushes p from q. If there is no such word, then we say that p and q are k-indistindushable and we write p k q. These notations are appropriate since both and k are equivalence relations over Q. 25

26 If we cannot distingush p and q with words of length at most k + 1, for some k 0, then we cannot distingush them with the words of at most k. In other words, p k+1 q implies p k q, for all k 0, that is k+1. k We say k+1 is a refinement of k. Similarly, we obtain k, for all k k There are at most two equivalence classes formed by 0, F and Q F. We can construct by refining 0 to give 1, 1 to give 2, and so on. To refine i to give i+1 we use the observation For two distinct states p and q with p i q, p i+1 q if and only if, for all a in Σ, δ(p, a) i δ(q, a) 26

27 Lemma Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a DFA with #Q = m. Then two distinct states p and q are indistingushable if and only if they are (m 2)-indistingushable. Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), be k and construct a DFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) from k as follows: Let Q = [p] p is in Q and [p] is the equivalence class of p in, s = [s], F = {[p] : p is in F }, and define δ by For all [p] in Q, for all a in Σ, δ ([p], a) = [δ(p, a)] 27

28 Theorem Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a complete DFA having only reachable states and M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be the corresponding DFA constructed from for M. Then M is a minimal complete DFA equivalent to M. Corollary Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a complete DFA and M and M be two minimal complete DFAs equivalent to M. Then M and M are equal apart from a renaming states, that is, there is an isomorphism between M and M. This corollary implies that the following question is decidable: DFA EQUIVALENCE INSTANCE: Two DFAs M 1 and M 2. QUESTION: Is L(M 1 ) = L(M 2 )? 28

29 2.5 DFAs and Tries Although the definition of DFA cannot be further restricted without restricting the languages accepted by them, there are two restrictions that are of interest. We say a DFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ), has a loop if there is a state q in Q and a nonempty word x in Σ + such that qx q; q is said to be a looping state. M is said to be loop-free if it has no looping states, in other words, the state diagram has no cycles. 29

30 Furthermore, we say M is a tree if it is loop-free and for all states q in Q, q s, there is one and only one state p with δ(p, a) = q, for some a in Σ. Loop-free DFAs accept only finite languages, and this raises the question: Is every finite language accepted by some loop-free DFA? Even if a DFA has loops it may still accept a finite language; therefore, we have the decision problem DFA FINITENESS INSTANCE: A DFA, M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ). QUESTION: Is L(M) finite? 30

31 2.6 λ-fas and Lazy FAs λ-fas and λ-transitions In the FAs we have discussed so far we require that the reading head move at each step. We now relax the condition by allowing the reading head to remain at a cell during a transition. We call such a transition a λ-transition; the input symbol is ignored. 31

32 Definition M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) is a λ-nfa, or λ-transition NFA, if δ Q (Σ {λ}) Q. We require, on a λ-transition, that the reading head doesn t move and the input symbol is ignored. Given a configuration px in QΣ we write px qy if x = Ay, for some A in Σ {λ}, and (p, A, q) is in δ; is extended to + and as before. Thus, at each configuration there is not only the choice of transition usual in NFAs, but also the additional possibility of taking λ-transitions. 32

33 There are two situation in which λ-transitions are useful: The Plus of an NFA The Union of Two NFAs Clearly, every NFA is a λ-nfa, but surprisingly the expressive power of λ-nfas is no more than that of NFAs. Theorem Let M = (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) be a λ-nfa; then an equivalent NFA, M, can be constructed from M. 33

34 2.6.2 Lazy Finite Automata Definition A lazy finite automaton, M, is a quintuple (Q, Σ, δ, s, F ) where Q,, Σ, s, and F are as for FAs, but δ Q Σ Q, a finite transition relation. In other words, transitions are allowed with words rather than just symbols and the empty word. A single move is defined by px qy if x = wy, for some w in Σ, and (p, w, q) is in δ Theorem Let M be a lazy FA. Then there is a λ-nfa, M, with L(M ) = L(M). 34

cse303 ELEMENTS OF THE THEORY OF COMPUTATION Professor Anita Wasilewska

cse303 ELEMENTS OF THE THEORY OF COMPUTATION Professor Anita Wasilewska LECTURE 6 CHAPTER 2 FINITE AUTOMATA 2. Nondeterministic Finite Automata NFA 3. Finite Automata and Regular Expressions 4. Languages