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.

A→ Aa / b
(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.

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

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-

A → aA / ∈

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 (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.

3. General Recursion-
• The recursion which is neither left recursion nor right recursion is called as general recursion.
Example-

A → aAb / ∈
PRACTICE PROBLEMS :
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-

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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’ / ∈

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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

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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 / ∈

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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’ / ∈

Problem-11:
S→AA|0
A →S S | 1
Answer
Considering the ordering S, A, we get:
S →A A | 0
A → AAS | 0S | 1
and removing immediate left recursion, we get
S →A A | 0
A → 0SA’ | 1A’
A → ASA’ |∈
Problem-12:
S → Aa | b
A → Ac | Sd | e
A → Sd will be replaced by
A → Ac | Aad | bd | e , then eliminates immediate recursion among A productions and yields the
following
S → Aa | b
A → bdA’ | A’
A’ → cA’ | adA’ | e

Note: We can remove the left recursion in many ways .it is depends on grammar. In indirect
Left recursion, the replacement of production can take before removal of left recursion or after
removal of left recursion.

Verify the below example

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Procedure 1

Procedure 2

The above mentioned two procedures to same problem are correct for removal of left recursion.

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A → ABd / Aa / a A → aA’
B → Be / b A’ → BdA’ / aA’ / ∈
B → bB’
B’ → eB’ / ∈

S → (L) / a S → (L) / a
L→L,S/S L → SL’
L’ → ,SL’ / ∈

E →E+T|T E → TE`
E →T*F|F E`→ + TE` | E
F → (E) | id T → FT`
T → * FT` | E
F → (E) | id
S → S0S1S / 01 S → 01A
A → 0S1SA / ∈

S→A S→A
A → Ad / Ae / aB / ac A → aBA’ / acA’
B → bBc / f A’ → dA’ / eA’ / ∈
B → bBc / f

A → AAα / β A → βA’
A’ → AαA’ / ∈

A → Ba / Aa / c A → BaA’ / cA’
B → Bb / Ab / d A’ → aA’ / ∈
B → cA’bB’ / dB’
B’ → bB’ / aA’bB’ / ∈

X → XSb / Sa / b X → SaX’ / bX’

S → Sb / Xa / a X’ → SbX’ / ∈
S → bX’aS’ / aS’
S’ → bS’ / aX’aS’ / ∈

S → Aa / b S → Aa / b
A → Ac / Sd / ∈ A → bdA’ / A’
A’ → cA’ / adA’ / ∈

A --> B x y | x
B --> C D
C --> A | c
D --> d

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S→Ta|b Replace T by S then S→Sa|b
T→S
S→bS’
S’→aS’|∈
T →S

S → X | Xb | SS
X→S|a
S → a | Xb | SS
X → Xb | SS | a
S → SX | SSb | XS | a S → XSS′ | aS′
S′ → XS′ | SbS′| ∈
S → SX | SSb | XS | a S → XSS′ | aS′
X → Xb | Sa | b S′ → XS′ | SbS′| ǫ
X → bX′ | aS′aX′
X′ → SS′aX′ | bX′ | ǫ
S → SX | SSb | XS | a S → XSS′ | aS′
X → Sa | Xb S′ → XS′ | SbS′ | ∈
X → SaX′
X′ → bX′ | ∈
A → AAα / β A → βA’
A’ → AαA’ / ∈

S → Ab | a
A → Sa | b.

S → Ab | a S → Ab | a
A → SAa | b. Replace A by its productions.
S → Saab|bb|a

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 remove left recursion
S → bbS’|aS’
S’→AabS’|∈
A → SAa | b.

A → Bb | a

B → Cc | b

C → Dd | c

D → Aa | d

Replace D in C’s production

C → Aad | dd|c

Replace C in B’s production

B → Aadc | ddc|cc|b

Replace B in A’s production

A → Aadcb | ddcb|ccb|bb|a

Then remove left recursion

A → ddcbA’|ccbA’|bbA’|aA’

A’→adcbA’|∈

B → Cc | b

C → Dd | c

D → Aa | d

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