Non Deterministic Automata

Costas Busch - RPI 1

Nondeterministic Finite Accepter (NFA)

Alphabet = {a}

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 2

Nondeterministic Finite Accepter (NFA)

Alphabet = {a}

Two choices q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 3

Nondeterministic Finite Accepter (NFA)

Alphabet = {a}

Two choices q1 a q2 No transition

a
q0
a
q3 No transition

Costas Busch - RPI 4

 First Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 5

 First Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 6

 First Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 7

 First Choice

a a
All input is consumed
q1 a q2 “accept”
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 8

 Second Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 9

 Second Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 10

 Second Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
No transition:
q3
the automaton hangs

Costas Busch - RPI 11

 Second Choice

a a
Input cannot be consumed
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”

Costas Busch - RPI 12

An NFA accepts a string:
when there is a computation of the NFA
that accepts the string

AND
all the input is consumed and the automaton
is in a final state

Costas Busch - RPI 13

 Example

aa is accepted by the NFA:

“accept”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0
a
q0
a
q3 q3 “reject”
because this
computation
accepts aa Costas Busch - RPI 14
 Rejection example

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 15

 First Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 16

 First Choice

a
“reject”
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 17

 Second Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 18

 Second Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 19

 Second Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”

Costas Busch - RPI 20

An NFA rejects a string:
when there is no computation of the NFA
that accepts the string:

• All the input is consumed and the

automaton is in a non final state

OR

• The input cannot be consumed

Costas Busch - RPI 21
 Example

a is rejected by the NFA:

“reject”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0 q0
a a
q3
“reject” q3

All possible computations lead to rejection

Costas Busch - RPI 22
 Rejection example

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 23

 First Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 24

 First Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0 No transition:
a
the automaton hangs
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 25

 First Choice

a a a
Input cannot be consumed
q1 a q2 “reject”
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 26

 Second Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 27

 Second Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 28

 Second Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
No transition:
q3
the automaton hangs

Costas Busch - RPI 29

 Second Choice

a a a
Input cannot be consumed
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”

Costas Busch - RPI 30

aaa is rejected by the NFA:

“reject”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0
a
q0
a
q3 q3 “reject”

All possible computations lead to rejection

Costas Busch - RPI 31
Language accepted: L  {aa}

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

Costas Busch - RPI 32

 Lambda Transitions

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 33

a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 34

a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 35

 (read head does not move)

a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 36

a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 37

 all input is consumed

a a

“accept”

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

String aa is accepted
Costas Busch - RPI 38
 Rejection Example

a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 39

a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 40

 (read head doesn’t move)

a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 41

a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

No transition:
the automaton hangs
Costas Busch - RPI 42
Input cannot be consumed

a a a

“reject”

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

String aaa is rejected

Costas Busch - RPI 43
Language accepted: L  {aa}

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

Costas Busch - RPI 44

 Another NFA Example

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 45
a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 46
a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 47
a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 48
a b

“accept”
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 49
 Another String

a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 50
a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 51
a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 52
a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 53
a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 54
a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 55
a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 56
a b a b

“accept”
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 57
 Language accepted

L   ab, abab, ababab, ...


  ab

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Costas Busch - RPI 58
Another NFA Example

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q2
1

Costas Busch - RPI 59
 Language accepted

L(M ) = { λ, 10, 1010, 101010, ...}

= { 10} *
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q2
1 (redundant
state)

Costas Busch - RPI 60
Remarks:
•The  symbol never appears on the
input tape

•Simple automata:

M1 M2
q0 q0

L(M1 ) = {} L(M 2 ) = {λ}

Costas Busch - RPI 61
•NFAs are interesting because we can
express languages easier than DFAs

NFA M1 DFA M2 a
q2
q0 a q1
a
q0 a q1

L( M1 ) = {a} L( M 2 ) = {a}
Costas Busch - RPI 62
 Formal Definition of NFAs
M   Q, ,  , q0 , F 

Q : Set of states, i.e.  q0 , q1, q2 

 : Input aplhabet, i.e.  a, b
: Transition function

q0 : Initial state

F : Final states
Costas Busch - RPI 63
Transition Function 

  q0 , 1   q1

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

Costas Busch - RPI 64
  (q1,0)  {q0 , q2}

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

Costas Busch - RPI 65
  (q0 ,  )  {q0 , q2}

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

Costas Busch - RPI 66
  (q2 ,1)  

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

Costas Busch - RPI 67
Extended Transition Function  *

 *  q0 , a    q1

q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3

Costas Busch - RPI 68
  *  q0 , aa    q4 , q5 

q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3

Costas Busch - RPI 69
  *  q0 , ab    q2 , q3 , q0 

q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3

Costas Busch - RPI 70
 Formally
q j   *  qi , w : there is a walk from qi to q j
with label w

qi w qj

w   1 2  k
1 2 k
qi qj

Costas Busch - RPI 71

 The Language of an NFA M
F   q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 *  q0 , aa    q4 , q5 aa  L(M )
F
Costas Busch - RPI 72
 F   q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 *  q0 , ab    q2 , q3 , q0  ab  L M 
F
Costas Busch - RPI 73
F   q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 *  q0 , abaa    q4 , q5 aaba  L(M )

F
Costas Busch - RPI 74
F   q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 *  q0 , aba    q1 aba  L M 

F
Costas Busch - RPI 75
 q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


L M       ab * {aa}

Costas Busch - RPI 76

 Formally
The language accepted by NFA M is:
L M    w1, w2 , w3 ,...

where  * (q0 , wm )  {qi , q j ,..., qk ,}

and there is some qk  F (final state)

Costas Busch - RPI 77

w L M   * (q0 , w)
qi
w

q0
qk qk  F
w
w qj

Costas Busch - RPI 78

NFAs accept the Regular
Languages

Costas Busch - RPI 79

 Equivalence of Machines

Definition for Automata:

Machine M1 is equivalent to machine M 2

if L M 1   L M 2 

Costas Busch - RPI 80

 Example of equivalent machines
NFA M1
0
L M1   {10} *
q0 q1
1

DFA M2 0,1
0
L M 2   {10} *
q0 q1 1 q2
1
0
Costas Busch - RPI 81
 We will prove:


Languages
Regular
accepted
Languages
by NFAs
Languages
accepted
by DFAs
NFAs and DFAs have the
same computation power
Costas Busch - RPI 82
 Step 1

Languages
accepted  Regular
Languages
by NFAs

Proof: Every DFA is trivially an NFA

Any language L accepted by a DFA

is also accepted by an NFA
Costas Busch - RPI 83
 Step 2

Languages
accepted  Regular
Languages
by NFAs

Proof: Any NFA can be converted to an

equivalent DFA

Any language L accepted by an NFA

is also accepted by a DFA
Costas Busch - RPI 84
 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b

DFA M
 q0 

Costas Busch - RPI 85

 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b

DFA M
 q0  a
 q1, q2 

Costas Busch - RPI 86

 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b

DFA M
 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b


Costas Busch - RPI 87
 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b

a
DFA M
 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b


Costas Busch - RPI 88
 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b

b a
DFA M
 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b


Costas Busch - RPI 89
 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b

b a
DFA M
 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b

 a, b
Costas Busch - RPI 90
 Convert NFA to DFA
a
NFA M
q a
0 q  q 1 2
b
L M   L(M )
a
DFA M b

 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b

 a, b
Costas Busch - RPI 91
 NFA to DFA: Remarks

We are given an NFA M

We want to convert it
to an equivalent DFA M 

With L M   L(M )
Costas Busch - RPI 92
If the NFA has states

q0 , q1, q2 ,...

the DFA has states in the powerset

,  q0  ,  q1 ,  q1, q2  ,  q3 , q4 , q7  ,....

Costas Busch - RPI 93

 Procedure NFA to DFA

1. Initial state of NFA: q0

Initial state of DFA:  q0 

Costas Busch - RPI 94

 Example
M a
NFA
q0 a q1  q2
b

DFA M
 q0 

Costas Busch - RPI 95

 Procedure NFA to DFA
2. For every DFA’s state {qi , q j ,..., qm }

Compute in the NFA

 *  qi , a  ,
 *  q j , a ,  {qi , qj ,..., qm
}
...
Add transition to DFA
 {qi , q j ,..., qm }, a   {qi , qj ,..., qm
}
Costas Busch - RPI 96
 Exampe
M a
NFA
q0 a q1  q2
b
 * (q0 , a )  {q1, q2 }

DFA M 

 q0  a
 q1, q2 

   q0  , a    q1, q2 
Costas Busch - RPI 97
 Procedure NFA to DFA

Repeat Step 2 for all letters in alphabet,

until
no more transitions can be added.

Costas Busch - RPI 98

 Example
M a
NFA
q0 a q1  q2
b

b a
DFA M
 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b

 a, b
Costas Busch - RPI 99
 Procedure NFA to DFA
3. For any DFA state {qi , q j ,..., qm }

If some q j is a final state in the NFA

Then, {qi , q j ,..., qm }

is a final state in the DFA

Costas Busch - RPI 100

 Example
M a
NFA
q0 a q1  q2 q1  F
b
a
DFA M b

 q0  a
 q1, q2 
b  q1, q2   F 
 a, b
Costas Busch - RPI 101
 Theorem
Take NFA M

Apply procedure to obtain DFA M

Then M and M are equivalent :

L M   L M  

Costas Busch - RPI 102

 Proof

L M   L M 

L M   L M   AND L M   L M  

Costas Busch - RPI 103

First we show: L M   L M  

Take arbitrary: w L(M )

We will prove: w  L(M )

Costas Busch - RPI 104

 w L(M )

M: q0 w qf

w   1 2  k
1 2 k
M: q0 qf

Costas Busch - RPI 105

We will show that if w L(M )

w   1 2  k
1 2 k
M: q0 qf

1 2 k
M:
{q0 } {q f ,}
w  L(M )
Costas Busch - RPI 106
More generally, we will show that if in M:
(arbitrary string) v  a1a2 an
a1 a2 an
M: q0 qi qj ql qm

a1 a2 an
M:
{q0} {qi ,} {q j ,} {ql ,} {qm ,}

Costas Busch - RPI 107

 Proof by induction on |v|

Induction Basis: v  a1

a1
M: q0 qi

a1
M:
{q0 } {qi ,}

Costas Busch - RPI 108

Induction hypothesis: 1 | v | k
v  a1a2 ak
a1 a2 ak
M: q0 qi qj qc qd

a1 a2 ak
M:
{q0} {qi ,} {q j ,} {qc ,} {qd ,}

Costas Busch - RPI 109

Induction Step: | v | k  1
v  a1a2 ak ak 1  vak 1
   
v

a1 a2 ak
M: q0 qi qj qc qd

v
a1 a2 ak
M:
{q0} {qi ,} {q j ,} {qc ,} {qd ,}

v
Costas Busch - RPI 110
Induction Step: | v | k  1
v  a1a2 ak ak 1  vak 1
   
v

a1 a2 ak ak 1
M: q0 qi qj qc qd qe

v
a1 a2 ak ak 1
M:
{q0} {qi ,} {q j ,} {qc ,} {qd ,} {qe ,}

v
Costas Busch - RPI 111
Therefore if w L(M )

w   1 2  k
1 2 k
M: q0 qf

1 2 k
M:
{q0 } {q f ,}
w  L(M )
Costas Busch - RPI 112
We have shown: L M   L M  

We also need to show: L M   L M  

(proof is similar)

Costas Busch - RPI 113