RE → Finite Automata

 Can we build a finite

automaton for every regular
expression?
 Yes, – build FA inductively
based on the definition of
Regular Expression
1
NFA
Nondeterministic Finite
Automaton (NFA)
 Can have multiple
transitions for one input
in a given state
 Can have  - moves
2
Epsilon Moves
 ε – moves
machine can move from state
A to state B without consuming
input

A B

3
NFA
operation of the automaton is not
completely defined by input
1
0 1
A B C

On input “11”, automaton could be

in either state
4
Execution of FA
A NFA can choose
 Whether to make -moves.
 Which of multiple transitions
to take for a single input.

5
Acceptance of NFA
 NFA can get into multiple states
 Rule: NFA accepts if it can get
in a final state
1
0 1
A B C

0
6
DFA and NFA
Deterministic Finite Automata
(DFA)
 One transition per input per
state.
 No  - moves

7
Execution of FA
A DFA
 can take only one path
through the state graph.
 Completely determined by
input.
8
NFA vs DFA
 NFAs and DFAs recognize
the same set of languages
(regular languages)
 DFAs are easier to
implement – table driven.

9
NFA vs DFA
 For a given language, the
NFA can be simpler than
the DFA.
 DFA can be exponentially
larger than NFA.

10
NFA vs DFA
 NFAs are the key to
automating RE → DFA
construction.

11
RE → NFA Construction
Thompson’s construction
( 1968)
 Build an NFA for each RE
term.
 Combine NFAs with
-moves.
12
RE → NFA Construction
Key idea:
 NFA pattern for each
symbol and each operator.
 Join them with -moves in
precedence order.

13
RE → NFA Construction
a
s0 s1
NFA for a

a  b
s0 s1 s3 s4

NFA for ab
14
RE → NFA Construction
a
NFA for a s0 s1

15
RE → NFA Construction
a
NFA for a s0 s1
b
NFA for b s3 s4

16
RE → NFA Construction
a
NFA for a s0 s1
b
NFA for b s3 s4

a b
s0 s1 s3 s4

17
RE → NFA Construction
a
NFA for a s0 s1
b
NFA for b s3 s4

a  b
s0 s1 s3 s4

NFA for ab
18
RE → NFA Construction
a
 s1 s2 
s0 s5
 b
s3 s4 

NFA for a | b
19
RE → NFA Construction
a
s1 s2

NFA for a
20
RE → NFA Construction
a
s1 s2

b
s3 s4

NFA for a and b

21
RE → NFA Construction
a
 s1 s2 
s0 s5
 b
s3 s4 

NFA for a | b
22
RE → NFA Construction


 s1
a 
s0 s2 s4


NFA for a*
23
RE → NFA Construction

a
s1 s2

NFA for a
24
RE → NFA Construction


 s1
a 
s0 s2 s4


NFA for a*
25
Example RE → NFA
NFA for a ( b|c )* 

b
   s4 s5 
a 
s0 s 1 s2 s3 s8 s9
 s c
6 s7 


26
Example RE → NFA
building NFA for a ( b|c )*

a
s0 s1

27
Example RE → NFA
NFA for a, b and c

b
s4 s5
a
s0 s1
c
s6 s7

28
Example RE → NFA
NFA for a and b|c

b
 s4 s5 
a
s0 s1 s3 s8
 s c
6 s7 

29
Example RE → NFA
NFA for a and ( b|c )*

b
  s4 s5 
a 
s0 s 1 s2 s3 s8 s9
 s c
6 s7 


30
Example RE → NFA
NFA for a ( b|c )* 

b
   s4 s5 
a 
s0 s 1 s2 s3 s8 s9
 s c
6 s7 


31
NFA → DFA Construction
 The algorithm is called subset
construction.
 In the transition table of an
NFA, each entry is a set of
states.
 In DFA, each entry is a single
state
32
NFA → DFA Construction
 The general idea behind
NFA-to-DFA construction is
that each DFA state
corresponds to a set of
NFA states.

33
NFA → DFA Construction
 The DFA uses its state to
keep track of all possible
states the NFA can be in
after reading each input
symbol.

34
NFA → DFA Construction
 We will use the following
operations.
 -closure(T):
set of NFA states reachable
from some NFA state s in T
on -transitions alone.
35
NFA  DFA Construction
 move(T,a):
set of NFA states to which
there is a transition on input
a from some NFA state s in
set of states T.

36
NFA → DFA Construction
 Before it sees the first input
symbol, NFA can be in
any of the state in the set
-closure(s0), where s0 is the
start state of the NFA.

37
NFA → DFA Construction
 Suppose that exactly the
states in set T are
reachable from s0 on a
given sequence of input
symbols.

38
NFA → DFA Construction
 Let a be the next input
symbol.
 On seeing a, the NFA can
move to any of the states in
the set move(T,a).

39
NFA → DFA Construction
 Let a be the next input
symbol.
 On seeing a, the NFA can
move to any of the states in
the set move(T,a).

40
NFA → DFA Construction
 When we allow for
-transitions, NFA can be in
any of the states in
-closure(move(T,a))
after seeing a.

41
Subset Construction
Algorithm:
Input:
NFA N with state set S,
alphabet , start state
s0, final states F
42
Subset Construction
Output:
DFA D with state set S’,
alphabet , start states
s0’ = -closure(s0), final
states F’, transition
table: S’ x  → S’
43
Subset Construction Example

a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

NFA for (a | b )*abb
44
 
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 The start state of equivalent
DFA is -closure(0), which is
A = {0,1,2,4,7}
45
 
2 a
3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 A = {0,1,2,4,7}, these are
exactly the states reachable
from state 0 via -transition.
46
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5


 The input symbol alphabet

here is {a,b}.
47
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 The algorithm tells us to mark
A and then compute
-closure(move(A,a))
48
 
2 a
3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 move(A,a)), is the set of states
of NFA that have transition on
‘a’ from members of A.
49
 
2 a
3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5


 Only 2 and 7 have such

transition, to 3 and 8.
50
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 So, -closure(move(A,a)) =
-closure({3,8}) =
{1,2,3,4,6,7,8}
51
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 Let B = {1,2,3,4,6,7,8}.
 Thus Dtran[A,a] = B
52
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 For input b, among states in A,
only 4 has transition on b to 5
53
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 C = -closure({5})
= {1,2,4,5,6,7}
 Thus, Dtran[A,b] = C
54
 
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5


 We continue this process with

the unmarked sets B and C
55
 
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5


 i.e., -closure(move(B,a)),
-closure(move(B,b)),
56
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5


 -closure(move(C,a)) and
-closure(move(C,b))
57
 
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 Until all sets and states of DFA
are marked.
58
Subset Construction
Eventually, the 5 sets are:
A={0,1,2,4,7}
B={1,2,3,4,6,7,8}
C={1,2,4,5,6,7}
D={1,2,4,5,6,7,9}
E={1,2,4,5,6,7,10}
59
 
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 b

4 5

A is start state
A={0,1,2,4,7} D={1,2,4,5,6,7,9}
B={1,2,3,4,6,7,8} E={1,2,4,5,6,7,10}
C={1,2,4,5,6,7}
60
 
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 b

4 5

E is accepting state
A={0,1,2,4,7} D={1,2,4,5,6,7,9}
B={1,2,3,4,6,7,8} E={1,2,4,5,6,7,10}
C={1,2,4,5,6,7}
61
Resulting DFA
a a
a b b
A B D E
a
b a
b
C

b
DFA for (a | b )*abb
62
Resulting DFA
a a
a b b
A B D E
a
b a
b
C

b a a a a b b
63
Final Transition Table
Input symbol
State a b

A B C
B B D
C B C
D B E
E B C 64
DFA Minimization
a a
a b b
A B D E
a
b a
b
C

b
DFA for (a | b )*abb
65
DFA Minimization
b a a
a b b
A,C B D E
a
b

Minimized DFA for (a | b )*abb

66