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    Theory of Automata Handouts 1

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    Gaming Addict Bros
    Handouts 1:- • Automata • Alphabets • Strings • Words • Valid/In-Valid Alphabets • Length of Strings • Reverse of a String

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    Theory of Automata Handouts 1

    Uploaded by

    Gaming Addict Bros
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    Handouts 1:- • Automata • Alphabets • Strings • Words • Valid/In-Valid Alphabets • Length of Strings • Reverse of a String

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    Handouts 1:- • Automata • Alphabets • Strings • Words • Valid/In-Valid Alphabets • Length of Strings • Reverse of a String

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    26 views4 pages

    Theory of Automata Handouts 1

    Uploaded by

    Gaming Addict Bros
    Handouts 1:- • Automata • Alphabets • Strings • Words • Valid/In-Valid Alphabets • Length of Strings • Reverse of a String

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Theory of Automata

    &
    Formal Languages

    Handouts 01
    Department of Information Technology
    Hazara University, Mansehra
    What does automata mean?

    It is the plural of automaton, and it means “something that works automatically”.

    “Finite” refer to the finite number of” state(s)” (a condition at particular time) in the automata. For e.g
    spinner of the washing machine(consider it as automata) can be in any three states(represented by
    circle) at particular time. i.e. fast spin, medium spin, slow spin. A transition(represented by arrow) from
    one state to another can be triggered through a spin button. This can be represented as following.

    Introduction to languages
    There are two types of languages
    • Formal Languages (Syntactic languages)
    • Informal Languages (Semantic languages)
    Alphabets
    Definition
    A finite non-empty set of symbols (called letters), is called an alphabet. It is denoted by Σ ( Greek letter
    sigma).
    Example

    Σ = {a,b}

    Σ = {0,1} (important as this is the language which the computer understands.)

    Σ = {i,j,k}
    Note Certain version of language ALGOL has 113 letters.
    Σ (alphabet) includes letters, digits and a variety of operators including sequential operators such as
    GOTO and IF

    2
    Strings
    Definition
    Concatenation of finite number of letters from the alphabet is called a string.
    Example
    If Σ = {a,b} then
    a, abab, aaabb, ababababababababab
    Note
    Empty string or null string: Sometimes a string with no symbol at all is used, denoted by (Small Greek
    letter Lambda) λ or (Capital Greek letter Lambda) Λ, is called an empty string or null string.
    The capital lambda will mostly be used to denote the empty string, in further discussion.
    Words
    Definition
    Words are strings belonging to some language.
    Example
    If Σ= {x} then a language L can be defined as

    L={xn : n=1,2,3,…..} or L={x,xx,xxx,….}

    Here x,xx,… are the words of L


    Note: All words are strings, but not all strings are words.
    Valid/In-valid alphabets
    While defining an alphabet, an alphabet may contain letters consisting of group of symbols for example
    Σ1= {B,aB, bab, d}.
    Now consider an alphabet

    Σ2= {B, Ba, bab, d} and a string BababB.


    This string can be tokenized in two different ways
    (Ba), (bab), (B)
    (B), (abab), (B)
    Which shows that the second group cannot be identified as a string, defined over

    Σ = {a, b}.
    As when this string is scanned by the compiler (Lexical Analyzer), first symbol B is identified as a letter
    belonging to Σ, while for the second letter the lexical analyzer would not be able to identify, so while
    defining an alphabet it should be kept in mind that ambiguity should not be created.

    3
    Remarks
    While defining an alphabet of letters consisting of more than one symbols, no letter should be started
    with the letter of the same alphabet i.e. one letter should not be the prefix of another. However, a letter
    may be ended in a letter of same alphabet.
    Conclusion
    Σ1= {B, aB, bab, d}

    Σ2= {B, Ba, bab, d}

    Σ1 is a valid alphabet while Σ2 is an in-valid alphabet.

    Length of Strings
    Definition
    The length of string s, denoted by |s|, is the number of letters in the string.
    Example
    Σ={a,b}
    s=ababa
    |s|=5
    Example
    Σ= {B, aB, bab, d}
    s=BaBbabBd
    Tokenizing=(B), (aB), (bab), (B), (d)
    |s|=5
    Reverse of a String
    Definition
    The reverse of a string s denoted by Rev(s) or sr, is obtained by writing the letters of s in reverse order.
    Example

    If s=abc is a string defined over Σ={a,b,c}


    then Rev(s) or sr = cba
    Example
    Σ= {B, aB, bab, d}
    s=BaBbabBd
    Rev(s)=dBbabaBB

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