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Problem 1: CS 103 Homework 6 Solutions Spring 2013-14

This document contains solutions to homework problems for a CS103 class on regular languages and finite automata. It includes regular expressions and explanations for strings that do and do not match certain languages. It also uses the Myhill-Nerode theorem to prove some languages are not regular. Finally, it provides the steps to convert a non-deterministic finite automaton to a deterministic finite automaton using subset construction, and then minimize the resulting deterministic finite automaton.

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Amar Agnihotri
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138 views

Problem 1: CS 103 Homework 6 Solutions Spring 2013-14

This document contains solutions to homework problems for a CS103 class on regular languages and finite automata. It includes regular expressions and explanations for strings that do and do not match certain languages. It also uses the Myhill-Nerode theorem to prove some languages are not regular. Finally, it provides the steps to convert a non-deterministic finite automaton to a deterministic finite automaton using subset construction, and then minimize the resulting deterministic finite automaton.

Uploaded by

Amar Agnihotri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CS 103 Homework 6 Solutions Spring 2013-14

Problem 1
For this question, Σ = {a, b}.

a. Let Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w does not end in aba}.

– Write a regular expression for L. (Submit this online : HW6 1a)


– Give a short (1-2 sentences) justification for the logic behind the regular expression.
b. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , the third symbol of w is a}.
– Write a regular expression for L. (Submit this online : HW6 1b)
– Give a short (1-2 sentences) justification for the logic behind the regular expression.

Solution (16 points)


a. Let Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w does not end in aba}.

– ((a|b)* (aaa|aab|abb|baa|bab|bba|bbb))|(a|b|ε)(a|b|ε)
– The first part of this regular expression generates all strings w with |w| ≥ 3 that don’t end in aba.
The second part of the regular expression generates all strings w with |w| < 3, which by definition
don’t end in aba.

Test strings : Positives : abbabababba, ababbababb, ε, a, aa, ab ; Negatives : abbabbaba, aba


b. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , the third symbol of w is a}.
– (a|b)(a|b)a(a|b)*
– This regular expression generates strings with either a or b in the first and second positions, a in
the third position, and any number of characters after this a.
Test strings : Positives : abababab, aaa, aba ; Negatives : ε, a, ab, aaba, aa, bb

Problem 2
For this question, Σ = {a, b}.

a. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w does not contain bb as a substring}.

– What is the minimum number of states that a DFA to recognise L must have? Give a represen-
tative string from each equivalence class.
– Write a regular expression for L. (Submit this online : HW6 2a)
– Give a short (1-2 sentences) justification for the logic behind the regular expression.

b. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w has an odd number of as and starts and ends with a b}.
– What is the minimum number of states that a DFA to recognise L must have? Give a represen-
tative string from each equivalence class.
– Write a regular expression for L. (Submit this online : HW6 2b)
– Give a short (1-2 sentences) justification for the logic behind the regular expression.
CS 103 Homework 6 Solutions Spring 2013-14

Solution (30 points)


For this question, Σ = {a, b}.

a. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w does not contain bb as a substring}.


– A DFA to recognise L must have at least 3 states. The equivalence classes are [ε] (accepting), [b]
(accepting), [bb] (rejecting).
– (a|ba)* (|b)
– The first part of this regular expression generates all strings in the equivalence class of [ε] with
respect to L. The second part can append a b to any such string, generating a string in the
equivalence class of [b] with respect to L.
Test strings : Positives : aaaa, ε, baaaaaaba ; Negatives : babba, bb
b. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w has an odd number of as and starts and ends with a b}.
– A DFA to recognise L must have at least 5 states. The equivalence classes are [ε] (rejecting), [a]
(rejecting), [b] (rejecting), [ba] (rejecting), [bab] (accepting).
– b(b|ab* a)* abb*
– The bs on either end of the regular expression ensure that the string starts and ends with a
b. There is one compulsory a in every string, and additional as are introducted in pairs with
unlimited intervening bs.
Test strings : Positives : babaab, babbbb, bbbaabbbaaabbb ; Negatives : ε, bb

Problem 3
For this question, Σ = {a, b}.
n 2
o
a. Let L = an bn |n ∈ N . Use the Myhill Nerode theorem to prove that L is not regular.

b. Let L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w = wR } 1 . Use the Myhill Nerode theorem to prove that L is not regular.

Solution (20 points)


For this question, Σ = {a, b}.
n 2
o
a. Using the Myhill-Nerode theorem, we prove that the language L = an bn |n ∈ N is not regular.
Consider the set of strings S = {ai |i ∈ N, i ≥ 0}. This is an infinite set of strings. Let wi = ai and
2
wj = aj be two arbitrary strings in S such that i 6= j. Append the string x = bi to each of wi and
2 2
wj . Since i 6= j, wi x = ai bi ∈ L, but wj x = aj bi 6∈ L.
Since the strings were chosen arbitrarily, any two strings in the infinite set S are distinguishable with
respect to L. By the Myhill-Nerode theorem, L is not regular.
b. Using the Myhill-Nerode theorem, we prove that the language L = {w|w ∈ Σ∗ , w = wR } is not regular.
Consider the set of strings S = {ai b|i ∈ N, i ≥ 0}. This is an infinite set of strings. Let wi = ai b and
wj = aj b be two arbitrary strings in S such that i 6= j. Append the string x = ai to each of wi and
wj . wi x = ai bai = (wi x)R , so wi x ∈ L, but wj x = aj bai 6= ai baj = (wi x)R , so wj x 6∈ L.
Since the strings were chosen arbitrarily, any two strings in the infinite set S are distinguishable with
respect to L. By the Myhill-Nerode theorem, L is not regular.
1 wR is w in reverse.
CS 103 Homework 6 Solutions Spring 2013-14

Problem 4
Let L = {w ∈ {0, 1, 2}∗ |w contains the same number of copies of the substrings 01 and 10 }. Is L regular?
If so, give a regular expression for L (Submit this online : HW6 4opt - optional, of course). If not, use the
Myhill Nerode theorem to prove that L is not regular.

Solution (14 points)


Using the Myhill-Nerode theorem, we prove that the language
L = {w ∈ {0, 1, 2}∗ |w contains the same number of copies of the substrings 01 and 10 } is not regular.
Consider the set of strings S = {(012)i |i ∈ N, i ≥ 0}. This is an infinite set of strings. Let wi = (012)i and
wj = (012)j be two arbitrary strings in S such that i 6= j. The string 01 appears i and j times respectively
in wi and wj .
Append the string x = (102)i , which contains i copies of the string 10, to each of wi and wj . wi x =
(012)i (102)i ∈ L, but wj x = (012)j (102)i 6∈ L.
Since the strings were chosen arbitrarily, any two strings in the infinite set S are distinguishable with
respect to L. By the Myhill-Nerode theorem, L is not regular.

Problem 5
a. – Convert the following NFA to a DFA using the subset construction. (Submit the resulting DFA
online : HW6 5a)
– List the subsets of {A, B, C, D} that correspond to states in the constructed DFA.

A a B


b b

a
D C

b. Minimise the resulting DFA. (Submit the minimised DFA online : HW6 5b)

Solution (20 points)


a. The subsets are {A}, {B}, {C}, {B, D}, and {}.
CS 103 Homework 6 Solutions Spring 2013-14

A a B

b b a, b
a
b

B, D C
b
a

Test strings : Accept a, b, aba, bba ; Reject ab, abb, ε


b.

A B, D
a, b

a, b a b
a

b
C

Test strings : Accept a, b, aba, bba ; Reject ab, abb, ε

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