Deterministic

Finite Automata

And Regular Languages

 Deterministic

Finite Automata
 Simple Automaton

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, Second Edition 3

 Complex Automaton

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, Second Edition 4

 Complex Automaton (cont..)

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, Second Edition 5

 Complex Automaton (cont..)

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, Second Edition 6

 Complex Automaton (cont..)

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, Second Edition 7

 Finite Accepter

Input
String
Output
“Accept”
Finite
or
Automaton “Reject”

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 8

 Transition Graph
abba -Finite Accepter a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

initial final
state state
transition
state “accept”

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Alphabet   {a , b }
a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

For every state, there is a transition for

every symbol in the alphabet

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 Initial Configuration
Input String
a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Reading the Input

a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Input finished

a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

Output: “accept”
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 Rejection

a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Input finished

a b a

a, b
Output:
q5 “reject”
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Another Rejection

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Input

Input Finished (no symbol read)
a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

Output:
“reject” Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 23
 Another Example

a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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 Input finished

a a b

a a, b
Output: “accept”

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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 Rejection

b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

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 Input finished

b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

Output: “reject”

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 Formal Definition
Deterministic Finite Automaton (DFA)

M  Q, ,  , q0 , F 
Q : finite set of states
 : finite set of input alphabet
 : transition function
q0 : initial state q0  Q
F : set of final states F  Q
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 Input Alphabet 

  :the input alphabet never contains 

  a, b
a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Set of States Q
Q  q0 , q1, q2 , q3 , q4 , q5 

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Initial State q0

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Set of Final States F

F  q4  F Q

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 38

To accept a string:
all the input string is scanned
and the last state (qfinal) is accepting

qfinal  F

To reject a string:
all the input string is scanned
and the last state (qlast) is non-accepting
qlast  F qlast  (Q  F )
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 39
Transition Function  :Q  Q

 (q , x )  q 
x q
q

Describes the result of a transition

from state q with symbol x

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 40

  q0 , a   q1

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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  q0 , b   q5

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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  q2 , b   q3

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Transition Function 
 a b
q0 q1 q5
q1 q5 q2
q2 q5 q3
q3 q4 q5 a, b
q4 q5 q5
q5 q5 q5 q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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Extended Transition Function
 :Q   Q
* *

 (q ,w )  q 
*

Describes the resulting state

after scanning string w from state q

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 45

  * q0 , ab   q2

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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  * q0 , abba   q4

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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  * q0 , abbbaa   q5

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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Special case:

for any state q

 q ,    q
*

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Observation: There is a walk from q to q
with label w

 * q, w  q

q w q

states may be repeated

w  1 2  k
1 2 k
q q

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 50

Example: There is a walk from q0 to q5
with label abbbaa

 * q0 , abbbaa   q5
a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Inductive Definition
Basis  * q ,    q
Induction  * q, w    ( * (q, w), )

q w q1  q

 *  q , w   q
 * q, w    (q1, )
 (q1, )  q
 * q, w    ( * (q, w), )
 * q, w  q1

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 52

 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 53
 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2  * q ,    q    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 54
 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 55
 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 56
 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 57
 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
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 a b  * q0 , ab  
q0 q1 q5   * (q0 , a ), b  
q1 q5 q2    * q0 ,  , a , b  
q2 q5 q3   q0 , a , b  
q3 q4 q5  q1 , b  
q4 q5 q5 q2
q5 q5 q5 a, b
q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 59
 Languages Accepted by DFAs
Take DFA M

Definition:
The language LM  contains
all input strings accepted by M

LM  = { strings that drive M to a final state}

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 Example # 1
LM   abba M

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

accept

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Activity
Time
LM    , abba
This automaton accepts only one string

Language Accepted: L  abba 

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

Make it to accept two strings L   , abba

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 Example # 2
Alphabet:   {1}
1

q0 q1
1

Language Accepted:

EVEN  {x : x   and | x | is even}

*

 {, 11, 1111, 111111, }

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 Example # 3
LM    , ab, abba M

a, b

q5
b a a a, b
b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

accept accept accept

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 Languages Accepted by DFAs
Take DFA M

Definition:
The language LM  contains
all input strings accepted by M

LM  = { strings that drive M to a final state}

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 Formally
For a DFA M  Q, ,  , q0 , F 

Language accepted by M :
LM   w  * :  * q0 , w  F 

q0 w q q  F

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 Observation
Language rejected by M :

LM   w  * :  * q0 , w  F 

q0 w q q  F

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 Regular Languages
Definition:
A language L is regular if there is
a DFA M that accepts it ( L(M )  L )

The languages accepted by all DFAs

form the family of regular languages

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 Activity # 1

LM   {a b : n  0}
n

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

accept trap state

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 70

 Activity # 2
The language L  awa : w  a, b*
is regular:
a
b
L  LM  b
q0 a q2 q3

b a
q4

a, b
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 Activity # 3
LM  = { all strings with prefix ab }
a, b

q0 a q1 b q2

b a accept

q3 a, b

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 Activity # 4
LM  = { all binary strings containing
substring 001 }

0,1
1 0
1

 0 0 00 1 001
0

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 Activity # 5
LM  = { all binary strings without
substring 001 }

1 0 0,1
1

 0 1
0 00 001

0
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 74
 Activity # 6 & 7
  {a , b }
a, b
a, b

q0 q0

L(M )  { } L(M )   *

Empty language All strings

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 Activity # 8
  {a , b }

a, b

q0 a, b q0

L(M )  { }
Language of the empty string
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There exist languages which are not Regular:

L {a b : n  0}
n n

ADDITION  {x  y  z : x  1 , y  1 , z  1 , n m k

nm k}

There are no DFAs that accept these languages

(we will prove this in a later class)

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 77