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Theory of Automata

Automata Theory is a crucial field in computer science that examines abstract machines and their problem-solving capabilities, impacting areas like compilers and language processing. It includes various types of automata such as Finite Automata, Pushdown Automata, and Turing Machines, each recognizing different classes of languages. The theory addresses fundamental questions about machine capabilities and efficiency in problem-solving.

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8 views2 pages

Theory of Automata

Automata Theory is a crucial field in computer science that examines abstract machines and their problem-solving capabilities, impacting areas like compilers and language processing. It includes various types of automata such as Finite Automata, Pushdown Automata, and Turing Machines, each recognizing different classes of languages. The theory addresses fundamental questions about machine capabilities and efficiency in problem-solving.

Uploaded by

Ayesha khalid
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Theory of Automata, also known as Automata Theory, is a fundamental area of computer

science and mathematics that studies abstract machines and the problems they can solve. It
plays a key role in the design of compilers, interpreters, formal verification, language
processing, and computer architecture.

🔹 Basic Concepts

1. Alphabet (Σ)

A finite set of symbols used to construct strings.


Example: Σ = {0, 1} → Binary alphabet.

2. String

A finite sequence of symbols from the alphabet.


Example: 1011 is a string over Σ = {0,1}.

3. Language (L)

A set of strings formed from an alphabet.


Example: All strings with an even number of 1s.

🔹 Types of Automata

1. Finite Automata (FA)

 Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA)


Each state has exactly one transition for each symbol.
 Non-deterministic Finite Automata (NFA)
A state can have multiple transitions for the same input symbol.

🟢 Used to recognize regular languages.

2. Pushdown Automata (PDA)

 Like FA, but with an additional stack memory.


 Can handle nested structures (e.g., balanced parentheses).

🟢 Recognizes context-free languages (like programming language grammar).

3. Turing Machine (TM)


 A theoretical model that has infinite memory (a tape) and a read/write head.
 Represents what can be computed in principle.

🟢 Recognizes recursively enumerable languages.


🧠 Basis of the modern computer model.

🔹 Importance in Computer Science

Application Description
Compilers Automata parse and check syntax of code (using DFA/PDA).
Text Processing Regular expressions use finite automata internally.
Artificial Intelligence Planning and state-space representation.
Software Verification Model-checking uses automata to verify system behavior.

🔹 Hierarchy of Formal Languages

Type Language Recognized by


Regular `{ a^n n ≥ 0 }`
Context-Free `{ a^n b^n n ≥ 0 }`
Context-Sensitive `{ a^n b^n c^n n ≥ 0 }`
Recursively Enumerable All computable functions Turing Machine

🔹 Summary

Automata Theory helps us answer:

 What problems can a machine solve?


 How efficiently can a problem be solved?
 What kind of machines are needed for a specific language?

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