Regular Expressions

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 Regular Expressions
Regular expressions
describe regular languages

Example: (a  b c) *

describes the language

a, bc*  , a, bc, aa, abc, bca,...

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 Recursive Definition
Primitive regular expressions: ,  , 

Given regular expressions r1 andr2

r1  r2
r1 r2
Are regular expressions
r1 *
r1 
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 Examples

A regular expression: a  b c * (c   )

Not a regular expression: a  b 

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 Languages of Regular Expressions

Lr  : language of regular expression

r

Example
L(a  b c) *  , a, bc, aa, abc, bca,...

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 Definition

For primitive regular expressions:

L  

L   

La  a
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 Definition (continued)

For regular expressionsr1 r2

and

Lr1  r2  Lr1  Lr2 

Lr1 r2  Lr1  Lr2 

Lr1 * Lr1 *

Lr1  Lr1 
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 Example
a  b a *
Regular expression:

La  b a * La  b  La *

La  b  La *
La  Lb  La *
a  b a*
a, b  , a, aa, aaa,...
a, aa, aaa,..., b, ba, baa,...
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 Example

Regular expression r a  b * a  bb 

Lr  a, bb, aa, abb, ba, bbb,...

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 Example

Regular expression r aa * bb * b

2n 2m
Lr  {a b b : n, m 0}

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 Example

Regular expression r (0  1) * 00 (0  1) *

L(r )= { all strings with at least

two consecutive 0 }

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 Example

Regular expression r (1  01) * (0   )

L(r )= { all strings without

two consecutive 0 }

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 Equivalent Regular Expressions

Definition:

Regular expressionsr1 andr2

are equivalent ifL( r1 ) L( r2 )

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 Example
L= { all strings without
two consecutive 0 }

r1 (1  01) * (0   )
r2 (1* 011*) * (0   )  1* (0   )

r1 and r2
L(r1 ) L(r2 ) L
are equivalent
regular expr.
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Regular Expressions
and
Regular Languages

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 Theorem

Languages
Generated by
Regular Expressions
 Regular
Languages

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 We will show:

Languages
Generated by  Regular
Languages
Regular Expressions

Languages
Generated by  Regular
Languages
Regular Expressions

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 Proof - Part 1

Languages
Generated by  Regular
Languages
Regular Expressions

For any regular expression r

the language L(r ) is regular

Proof by induction on the size of r

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 Induction Basis
,
Primitive Regular Expressions: , 
NFAs

L( M1 )  L( )

regular
L( M 2 ) {} L( )
languages
a
L( M 3 ) {a} L(a )

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 Inductive Hypothesis

Assume
for regular expressions r1 andr2
that
L(r1 ) and L(r2 ) are regular languages

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 Inductive Step
We will prove:
Lr1  r2 

Lr1 r2 
Are regular
Languages
Lr1 *

Lr1 
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By definition of regular expressions:

Lr1  r2  Lr1  Lr2 

Lr1 r2  Lr1  Lr2 

Lr1 * Lr1 *

Lr1  Lr1 
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By inductive hypothesis we know:
L(r1 )and L(r2 ) are regular languages

We also know:
Regular languages are closed under:
Union Lr1  Lr2 
Concatenation Lr1  Lr2 
Star Lr1 *
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Therefore:

Lr1  r2  Lr1  Lr2 

Are regular
Lr1 r2  Lr1  Lr2 
languages

Lr1 * Lr1 *

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And trivially:

L((r1 )) is a regular language

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 Proof - Part 2

Languages
Generated by  Regular
Languages
Regular Expressions

For any regular languageL there is

a regular expression r with L( r ) L

Proof by construction of regular expression

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Since L is regular take the
NFA M that accepts it

L ( M ) L

Single final state

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 From M construct the equivalent
Generalized Transition Graph
in which transition labels are regular
expressions

Example:
M
a c a c
a, b a b
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 b b
Another Example:
a
q0 q1 a, b q2
b

b b
a
q0 q1 a  b q2
b
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 b b
Reducing the states:
a
q0 q1 a  b q2
b

bb * a b

q0 bb * (a  b) q2
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Resulting Regular Expression:

bb * a b

q0 bb * (a  b) q2

r (bb * a ) * bb * (a  b)b *

L ( r ) L ( M ) L
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 In General
Removing states: e
d c
qi q qj
a b

ae * d ce * b
ce * d
qi qj
ae * b
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The final transition graph:
r1 r4
r3
q0 qf
r2

The resulting regular expression:

r r1 * r2 (r4  r3r1 * r2 ) *

L ( r ) L ( M ) L
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Standard Representations
of Regular Languages

Regular Languages

FAs

Regular
NFAs
Expressions

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When we say: We are given
a Regular Language L

We mean: Language L is in a standard

representation

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Elementary Questions

about

Regular Languages

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 Membership Question
Question: Given regular languageL
and string w
how can we check if w  L ?

Answer: Take the DFA that accepts L

and check if w is accepted

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DFA
w
w L

DFA
w
w L

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Question: Given regular languageL
how can we check
if Lis empty: ( L  ) ?

Answer: Take the DFA that accepts L

Check if there is any path from

the initial state to a final state
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DFA

L 

DFA

L 

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Question: Given regular language L
how can we check
if Lis finite?

Answer:Take the DFA that accepts L

Check if there is a walk with cycle

from the initial state to a final state
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DFA

L is infinite

DFA

L is finite

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 Given regular languages L1 and
Question: L2
how can we check if L1 L2 ?

Answer: Find if ( L1  L2 )  ( L1  L2 ) 

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 ( L1  L2 )  ( L1  L2 ) 

L1  L2  and L1  L2 

L1 L2 L L2 L1 L1
2
L1  L2 L2  L1

L1 L2
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 ( L1  L2 )  ( L1  L2 ) 

L1  L2  or L1  L2 

L1 L2 L2 L1

L1  L2 L2  L1

L1 L2
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