Equivalence of DFA and Regular Expressions

CSCI 3130 Formal Languages and Automata Theory

Siu On CHAN
Fall 2018
Chinese University of Hong Kong

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Three ways of doing it

L = {x ∈ Σ∗ | x ends in 01} Σ = {0, 1}

q0 1 q0 0,1

0 0
∗
1 q1 0 q1 (0+1) 01

0 1 1
q2 q2
regular
DFA NFA
expressions

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They are equally powerful

regular
DFA NFA
expressions

regular languages

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Examples: regular expression → NFA

q0 0 q1
R1 = 0

q0 0 q1 1 q2
R2 = 01

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Examples: regular expression → NFA

NFA3
q1 q02 q2
ε ε

R3 = 0+01 q0 q6
ε ε
q3 0 q4 1 q5

ε
ε
R4 = (0+01)
∗
ε ε
q00 NFA3 q10

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Regular expressions

In general, how do we convert a regular expression to an NFA?

A regular expression over Σ is an expression formed by the following

rules

• The symbols ∅ and ε are regular expressions

• Every symbol in Σ is a regular expression
• If Σ = {0, 1}, then 0 and 1 are both regular expressions
• If R asd S are regular expressions, so are R + S, RS and R∗

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General method when Σ = {0, 1}

regular
=⇒ NFA
expression

∅ q0

ε q0

q0 0 q
0 1

q0 1 q
1 1

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General method

regular
=⇒ NFA
expression

q0 ε ε ε q1
RS NFAR NFAS

ε NFAR ε
R+S q0 q1
ε NFAS ε

R∗ ε
q0 ε ε q1
NFAR

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Roadmap

regular
NFA
expressions
2-state
GNFA
GNFA

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Simplify the NFA

First we simplify the NFA so that

• It has exactly one accepting state

• No arrows come into the start state
• No arrows go out of the accepting state

q3

q1 q5

q4

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Simplify the NFA

First we simplify the NFA so that

• It has exactly one accepting state

• No arrows come into the start state
• No arrows go out of the accepting state

q3
ε
q0 ε q1 q5
ε
q4

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Simplify the NFA

0 1
1
q1 q2
0

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Simplify the NFA

0 1

ε 1 ε
q0 q1 q2 q3
0

• It has exactly one accepting state 3

• No arrows come into the start state 3
• No arrows go out of the accepting state 3

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Generalized NFAs

A generalized NFA is an NFA whose transitions are labeled by regular

expressions, like

0∗ 1

ε + 10∗ 0∗ 11
q0 q1 q2

01

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GNFA state elimination

regular
NFA
expressions
2-state
GNFA
GNFA

We will eliminate every state but the start and accepting states

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State elimination

0∗ 1

ε + 10∗ 0∗ 11
q0 q1 q2

01

⇓
(ε + 10∗ )(0∗ 1)∗ 0∗ 11
q0 q1 q2
01

⇓
(ε + 10∗ )(0∗ 1)∗ 0∗ 11 + 01
q0 q1 q2

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State elimination: general method

To eliminate state q, for every pair of states (u, v) such that

u→q→v

R2
R1 R3
u q v
Replace
R4

R1 R2∗ R3 + R4
u q v
by

Remember to do this even when u = v

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Roadmap

regular
NFA
expressions
3 2-state 3 3
GNFA
GNFA

R A 2-state GNFA is the same as a

q0 q1
regular expression R

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Conversion example

0 1

ε 1 ε
q0 q1 q2 q3
0

After eliminating q1 :

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Conversion example

0 1

ε 1 ε
q0 q1 q2 q3
0

00∗ 1 + 1

After eliminating q1 : q0 0q∗ 1 q2 ε q3

1

0∗ 1(00∗ 1 + 1)∗
q0 q1 q2 q3
After eliminating q2 :

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Conversion example

0 1

ε 1 ε
q0 q1 q2 q3
0

00∗ 1 + 1

After eliminating q1 : q0 0q∗ 1 q2 ε q3

1

0∗ 1(00∗ 1 + 1)∗
q0 q1 q2 q3
After eliminating q2 :
0 1
1
q1 q2
?
Check: 0∗ 1(00∗ 1 + 1)∗ =
0

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Check your answer!

0 1
1 All strings ending in 1
q1 q2 ∗
0 (0+1) 1

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Check your answer!

0 1
1 All strings ending in 1
q1 q2 ∗
0 (0+1) 1

0∗ 1(00∗ 1 + 1)∗ Always ends in 1

Does every string ending in 1

= 0∗ 1(0∗ 1)∗ have this form?
Yes

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