Switching Theory and

Models of Computation
Tutorial Six:
Correspondence between NFA and Regular Grammars
Conversion from NFA to Regular Grammar
Conversion from Regular Grammars to Regular Expressions
Lecture Instructor : Prof. Dr. Ahmed El Nahas
Tutorial Instructor: Eng. Ahmed Abdelhamid Waheed Abdelwahab

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 Representations of Finite State Machines
So far we have discovered a single representation of finite state
machines using state graphs.
Complexity of representing graphs is expensive in terms of memory.
Hard to deduce corresponding regular expression for the finite automaton we
built (state elimination procedure covered later on).
Another representation is with using finite set of rules that
corresponds to the candidate finite automaton.
Once the rules are given, they can be solved in algebraic like notion to deduce
the regular expression.

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 Quick Review: Right Linear Grammars and NFA(1)
• A right linear grammar G is a quadruple G=(V, Ʃ, S, P)
V is a finite set of (meta) symbols or variables.
Ʃ is a finite set of terminal symbols.
SϵV is a distinguished element of V called the start symbol.
P is a finite set of productions having one of two forms:
o VƩ*V OR VƩ*

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Quick Review: Right Linear Grammars and NFA(2)

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 Quick Review: Right Linear Grammars and NFA(3)
• Additional Hint
• If there exists a rule A  σ1σ2σ3σn for A ϵ V and σ1,σ2,σ3,…σn ϵ Ʃ
• Then corresponding conversion is in the form:

σ1 σn
σ2
A

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Illustration

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 Exercises(1)
1. Construct NFA that recognizes the language generated by the
regular grammar G=(V, Ʃ, S, P) where V={S, A}, Ʃ={0, 1}, and the
productions in P are:
S1A, S0, SԐ, A0A, A1

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Illustration

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 Solution

1 1
S A 3

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 Exercises(2)
2. Construct NFA that recognizes the language generated by the
regular grammar G=(V, Ʃ, S, P) where V={S, A, B}, Ʃ={0, 1}, and the
productions in P are:
S0A, S1B, A0, AB, B0

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Illustration

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 Solution

0 0
S A 3

1 Ԑ

0
B 3

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 Exercises(3)
3. Construct NFA that recognizes the language generated by the
regular grammar G=(V, Ʃ, S, P) where V={S, A, B}, Ʃ={0, 1}, and the
productions in P are:
S1A, S0, SԐ, A0B, B1B, B1

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Illustration

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 Solution

1 0 1
S A B 3

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 Exercises(4)
4. Construct NFA that recognizes the language generated by the
regular grammar G=(V, Ʃ, S, P) where V={S, A, B}, Ʃ={0, 1}, and the
productions in P are:
S1B, S0, A1A, A0B, A1, A0, B1

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Illustration

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 Solution

1 1
S B 3

0
0 3

3 1
A

3
1
0

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 Exercises(5)
5. Find a regular grammar generating the language accepted by the FA
shown below. a
b
b

a a
A B B
C

b
D

a, b

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Illustration

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 Solution
• G=( {A, B, C, D}, {a, b}, P, A) where P is given by:
• A  aB A  bD AԐ
• B  aB B  aC B  bC
• C  bC CԐ
• D  aD D  bD

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 Exercises(6)
6. Find a regular grammar that generates the regular set recognized by
the NFA shown below 0, 1

0 1
S A
B B

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Illustration

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 Solution
G=( {S, A, B}, {0, 1}, P, S) where P is given by:
• S0A S1B
• A1B AԐ
• B0B B1B

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 Exercises(7)
7. Find a regular grammar that generates the regular language
recognized by the FA shown below
1

1
S A

0
0, 1
0
B
C
B

0
1
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Illustration

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 Solution
G=( {S, A, B, C}, {0, 1}, P, S) where P is given by:
• S0B S1A
• A0B A1A AԐ
• B0B B1C
• C0C C1C CԐ

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 Exercises(8)
8. Find a regular grammar generating the language accepted by the FA
shown below. a
b
b

a
A B B
C

b
D

a, b

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Illustration

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 Solution
• G=({A, B, C, D}, {a, b}, P, A) where P is given by:
• A  aB A  bD AԐ
• B  aB B  bC
• C  aB C  bC CԐ
• D  aD D  bD

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Quick Review: RE Simplification Rules

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 Exercises(9)
9. Convert following regular grammar into regular expression:
G=({S,R}, {a, b}, S, P) where P is
SaS, SbR, SԐ
RaS

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Illustration

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 Solution
• Write Productions as system of linear equations (Replace epsilons
with 1):
S=aS+bR+1  eq.(1)
R=aS  eq.(2)
• Substitute eq.(2) in eq.(1)
S=aS + baS+1
=(a + ba)S+1
Apply Rule(22) : Q=P+RQ=R*P
S=(a+ba)*1
=(a+ba)*

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 Exercises(10)
10. Convert following regular grammar into regular expression:
G=({a,b}, {S,A,B}, ϕ, S) where ϕ consists of:
SaA SbB Sb
AbA AԐ
BbS

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Illustration

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 Solution
• Write Productions as system of linear equations (Replace epsilons
with 1):
S=aA+bB+b  eq.(1)
A=bA+1  eq.(2)
B=bS  eq.(3)
• From eq.(2) we deduce that A=b*  eq.(4) (Q=RQ+P=R*P (Rule 22))
• Substitute eq.(3) and eq.(4)
S=ab* + bbS+b
=bbS+(ab*+b)
Apply Rule(22) : Q=R*P=P+RQ
=(bb)*(ab*+b)

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 Exercises(11)
11. Convert following regular grammar into regular expression:
G=({X,Y,Z}, {a, b, c}, ϕ, X) where ϕ consists of:
XaX XbY
YcX YaZ YbZ
ZԐ

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Illustration

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 Solution
• Write Productions as system of linear equations (Replace epsilons with 1):
X=aX + bY  eq (1)
Y=cX + aZ+ bZ  eq (2)
Z=1  eq (3)
• Substitute eq.(3) in eq.(2)
Y = cX + a + b  eq (4)
• Substitute eq.(4) in eq.(1)
X = aX + b(cX + a + b)
X = aX + bcX + ba +bb
X = (a+bc)X + ba + bb
Apply (Q=RQ+P=R*P (Rule 22)) on above getting: (a+bc)*(ba+bb)
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