Finite Automata

FA and their Languages

• We will study FA from two different angles:

1. Given a language, can we build a machine for

it?

2. Given a machine, can we deduce its language?

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 Example

• Let us build a machine that accepts the language of all words over the
alphabet Σ = {a, b} with an even number of letters.

• A mathematician could approach this problem by counting the total

number of letters from left to right. A computer scientist would solve the
problem differently since it is not necessary to do all the counting:

• Use a Boolean flag, named E, initialized with the value TRUE. Every time
we read a letter, we reverse the value of E until we have exhausted the
input string. We then check the value of E. If it is TRUE, then the input
string is in the language; if FALSE, it is not.

• The FA for this language should require only 2 states:

– State 1: E is TRUE. This is the start and also final state.
– State 2: E is FALSE.

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 Example Contd.

• So the FA is pictured as follows:

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 Example

• Let us build a FA that accepts all the words in the language

a(a + b)*

• This is the language of all strings that begin with the letter a.

• Starting at state x, if we read a letter b, we go to a dead-end

state y. A dead-end state is one that no string can leave once it
has entered.

• If the first letter we read is an a, then we go to the dead-end

state z, which is also a final state.

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 Example

• The machine looks like this:

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 Example

• Let’s build a machine that accepts all words

containing a triple letter, either aaa or bbb,
and only those words.

• From the start state, the FA must have a path

of three edges, with no loop, to accept the
word aaa. So, we begin our FA with the
following:

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 Example Contd.

• For similar reason, there must be a path for bbb, that has no
loop, and uses entirely differently states. If the b-path shares
any states with the a-path, we could mix a’s and b’s to get to
the final state. However, the final state can be shared.

• So, our FA should now look like:

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 Example Contd.

• If we are moving along the a-path and we read

a b before the third a, we need to jump to the
b-path in progress and vice versa. The final FA
then looks like this:

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 Example

• Consider the FA below. We would like to examine what

language this machine accepts.

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 Example

• There are only two ways to get to the final state 4 in this FA: One is from
state 2 and the other is from state 3.

• The only way to get to state 2 is by reading an a while in either state 1 or

state 3. If we read another a we will go to the final state 4.

• Similarly, to get to state 3, we need to read the input letter b while in

either state 1 or state 2. Once in state 3, if we read another b, we will go to
the final state 4.

• Thus, the words accepted by this machine are exactly those strings that
have a double letter aa or bb in them. This language is defined by the
regular expression

(a + b)*(aa + bb)(a + b)*

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 Example

• Consider the FA below. What is the language accepted by this

machine?

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 Example

• Starting at state 1, if we read a word beginning with an a, we

will go straight to the final state 3. We will stay in state 3 as
long as we continue to read only a’s. Hence, all words of the
form aa are accepted by this FA.

• What if we began with some a’s that take us to state 3 and

then we read a b? This will bring us to state 2. To get back to
the final state 3, we must proceed to state 4 and then state 3.
This trip requires two more b’s.

• Notice that in states 2, 3, and 4, all a’s that are read are
ignored; and only b’s cause a change of state.
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• Summarizing what we know: If an input string starts with an a
followed by some b’s, then it must have 3 b’s to return to the
final state 3, or 6 b’s to make the trip twice, or 9 b’s, or 12 b’s
and so on.

• In other words, an input string starting with an a and having a

total number of b’s divisible by 3 will be accepted. If an input
string starts with an a but has a total number of b’s not
divisible by 3, then it is rejected because its path will end at
either state 2 or 4.

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 Example Contd.

• What happens to an input string that begins with a b?

• Such an input string will lead us to state 2. It then needs two more b’s to
get to the final state 3. These b’s can be separated by any number of a’s.
Once in state 3, it needs no more b’s, or 3 more b’s, or 6 more b’s and so
on.

• All in all, an input string, whether starting with an a or a b, must have a

total number of b’s divisible by 3 to be accepted.

• The language accepted by this machine therefore can be defined by the

regular expression

(a + ba*ba*b)+ = (a + ba*ba*b)(a + ba*ba*b)*

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 Example EVEN-EVEN revisited

• Consider the FA below.

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 Example EVEN-EVEN revisited Contd.

• There are 4 edges labeled a. All the a-edges go either from one of the
upper two states (states 1 and 2) to one of the lower two states (states 3
and 4), or else form one of the lower two states to one of the upper two
states.

• Thus, if we are north and we read an a, we go south. If we are south and

we read an a, we go north.

• If a string gets accepted by this FA, we can say that the string must have
had an even number of a’s in it. Every a that took us south was balanced
by some a that took us back north.

• So, every word in the language of this FA has an even number of a’s in it.
Also, we can say that every input string with an even number of a will
finish its path in the north (ie., state 1 or state 2).

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 Example EVEN-EVEN revisited Contd.

• Therefore, all the words in the language accepted by this FA

must have an even number of a’s and an even number of b’s.
So, they are in the language EVEN-EVEN.

• Notice that all input strings that end in state 2 have an even
number of a’s but an odd number of b’s. All strings that end in
state 3 have an even number of b’s but an odd number of a’s.
All strings that end in state 4 have an odd number of a’s and
an odd number of b’s. Thus, every word in the language EVEN
- EVEN must end in state 1 and therefore be accepted.

• Hence, the language accepted by this FA is EVEN-EVEN.

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