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Chapter 2 - Left Recursive

The document discusses left recursion, right recursion, and general recursion in grammars. It defines each type of recursion and provides examples. It also gives several practice problems on eliminating left recursion from sample grammars and shows the solutions.

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Abdullah
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42 views

Chapter 2 - Left Recursive

The document discusses left recursion, right recursion, and general recursion in grammars. It defines each type of recursion and provides examples. It also gives several practice problems on eliminating left recursion from sample grammars and shows the solutions.

Uploaded by

Abdullah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

Left Recursion-

 A production of grammar is said to have left recursion if the leftmost variable of its
RHS is same as variable of its LHS.
 A grammar containing a production having left recursion is called as Left Recursive
Grammar.

Example-

S → Sa / ∈
(Left Recursive Grammar)

 Left recursion is considered to be a problematic situation for Top down parsers.


 Therefore, left recursion has to be eliminated from the grammar.
Elimination of Left Recursion

Left recursion is eliminated by converting the grammar into a right recursive grammar.

If we have the left-recursive pair of productions-


A → Aα / β
(Left Recursive Grammar)
where β does not begin with an A.

Then, we can eliminate left recursion by replacing the pair of productions with-
A → βA’
A’ → αA’ / ∈
(Right Recursive Grammar)

This right recursive grammar functions same as left recursive grammar.

2. Right Recursion-

 A production of grammar is said to have right recursion if the rightmost variable of its
RHS is same as variable of its LHS.
 A grammar containing a production having right recursion is called as Right Recursive
Grammar.

Example-

S → aS / ∈
(Right Recursive Grammar)

 Right recursion does not create any problem for the Top down parsers.
 Therefore, there is no need of eliminating right recursion from the grammar.

Also Read- Types of Recursive Grammar

3. General Recursion-

 The recursion which is neither left recursion nor right recursion is called as general
recursion.

Example-

S → aSb / ∈

PRACTICE PROBLEMS BASED ON LEFT RECURSION


ELIMINATION-

Problem-01:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


A → ABd / Aa / a
B → Be / b

Solution-

The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-


A → aA’
A’ → BdA’ / aA’ / ∈
B → bB’
B’ → eB’ / ∈
Problem-02:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


E→E+E/ExE/a

Solution-

The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-


E → aA
A → +EA / xEA / ∈

Problem-03:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


E→E+T/T
T→TxF/F
F → id

Solution-

The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-


E → TE’
E’ → +TE’ / ∈
T → FT’
T’ → xFT’ / ∈
F → id

Problem-04:
Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-
S → (L) / a
L→L,S/S

Solution-

The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-


S → (L) / a
L → SL’
L’ → ,SL’ / ∈

Problem-05:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


S → S0S1S / 01

Solution-

The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-


S → 01A
A → 0S1SA / ∈

Problem-06:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


S→A
A → Ad / Ae / aB / ac
B → bBc / f

Solution-
The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-
S→A
A → aBA’ / acA’
A’ → dA’ / eA’ / ∈
B → bBc / f

Problem-07:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


A → AAα / β

Solution-

The grammar after eliminating left recursion is-


A → βA’
A’ → AαA’ / ∈

Problem-08:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


A → Ba / Aa / c
B → Bb / Ab / d

Solution-

This is a case of indirect left recursion.

Step-01:
First let us eliminate left recursion from A → Ba / Aa / c

Eliminating left recursion from here, we get-


A → BaA’ / cA’
A’ → aA’ / ∈

Now, given grammar becomes-


A → BaA’ / cA’
A’ → aA’ / ∈
B → Bb / Ab / d

Step-02:

Substituting the productions of A in B → Ab, we get the following grammar-


A → BaA’ / cA’
A’ → aA’ / ∈
B → Bb / BaA’b / cA’b / d

Step-03:

Now, eliminating left recursion from the productions of B, we get the following grammar-
A → BaA’ / cA’
A’ → aA’ / ∈
B → cA’bB’ / dB’
B’ → bB’ / aA’bB’ / ∈

This is the final grammar after eliminating left recursion.

Problem-09:
Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-
X → XSb / Sa / b
S → Sb / Xa / a

Solution-

This is a case of indirect left recursion.

Step-01:

First let us eliminate left recursion from X → XSb / Sa / b

Eliminating left recursion from here, we get-


X → SaX’ / bX’
X’ → SbX’ / ∈

Now, given grammar becomes-


X → SaX’ / bX’
X’ → SbX’ / ∈
S → Sb / Xa / a

Step-02:

Substituting the productions of X in S → Xa, we get the following grammar-


X → SaX’ / bX’
X’ → SbX’ / ∈
S → Sb / SaX’a / bX’a / a

Step-03:
Now, eliminating left recursion from the productions of S, we get the following grammar-
X → SaX’ / bX’
X’ → SbX’ / ∈
S → bX’aS’ / aS’
S’ → bS’ / aX’aS’ / ∈

This is the final grammar after eliminating left recursion.

Problem-10:

Consider the following grammar and eliminate left recursion-


S → Aa / b
A → Ac / Sd / ∈

Solution-

This is a case of indirect left recursion.

Step-01:

First let us eliminate left recursion from S → Aa / b


This is already free from left recursion.

Step-02:

Substituting the productions of S in A → Sd, we get the following grammar-


S → Aa / b
A → Ac / Aad / bd / ∈

Step-03:
Now, eliminating left recursion from the productions of A, we get the following grammar-
S → Aa / b
A → bdA’ / A’
A’ → cA’ / adA’ / ∈

This is the final grammar after eliminating left recursion.

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