DFA Minimization

The document discusses DFA minimization using the Myhill-Nerode method. It explains that equivalent states in a DFA behave identically for all input strings. The table filling algorithm is used to find equivalence classes of states that can be merged to obtain a minimal DFA with the minimum number of states that accepts the same language. The algorithm works by iteratively marking states as distinguishable until no new distinctions are found. The minimized DFA is checked against alternatives to ensure it has the fewest possible states.

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DFA Minimization

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Arda Baran

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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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DFA Minimization

Myhill-Nerode Method

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 1

DFA Minimization
• Every DFA defines a regular language
• In general, there can be many DFAs for a given regular language.
• These DFAs accept the same regular language.
– Language: The set of strings of 0’s and 1’s containing even number of 1’s

0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1

1 1
A minimal DFA

• In practice, we are interested in the DFA with the minimal number of states.
– Use less memory
– Use less hardware (flip-flops)
• We can find a minimal DFA for any given DFA and their languages are equal.

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 3

Indistinguishable States
• Let A = (Q, , ,q0,F) be a DFA, and {p,q} Q, we say that p and q are
indistinguishable (equivalent) states if:

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 4

Indistinguishable States
• Indistinguishable states behave the same for all possible strings.
– So, we do not need all of states from a set of indistinguishable states.
– We can eliminate all of them by keeping only one of them to represent that set of
indistinguishable states.

• Indistinguishability is an equivalence relation:

– Reflexive: Each state is indistinguishable from itself
– Symmetric: If p is indistinguishable from q, then q is indistinguishable from p
– Transitive: If p is indistinguishable from q, and q is indistinguishable from r, then
p is indistinguishable from r.

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 5

Indistinguishable States
• An equivalence relation on a set of states Q induces a partitioning 1, 2,…, k such
that:

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 6

Finding Distinguishable States –
Table Filling Algorithm
• We can compute distinguishable states with an inductive table filling algorithm.

Basis:
• Any non-accepting state is distinguishable from any accepting state.

Induction:
• States p and q are distinguishable if there is some input symbol a such that (p,a)
is distinguishable from (q,a).

• All other pairs of states are indistinguishable, and can be merged appropriately.

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 7

Finding Distinguishable States –
Table Filling Algorithm

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 8

Minimization of DFA
Table Filling Algorithm
• We can also use table filling algorithm to minimize a DFA by merging all equivalent
states.
• That is, we replace a state p with its equivalence class found by the table filling
algorithm.

• Equivalence Classes: = { 1, 2,…, k}

– So, each equivalence class i will be a state in the minimized DFA.

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 9

Table Filling Algorithm: Example 1

0
q x • p is distinguishable from q
0 q
p
r x and r by basis, mark them
1 1 p q
1
0
r

• Both q and r go to p with 0, so

q x no string beginning with 0 will
r x distinguish them
• Starting in either q and r , an
p q input of 1 takes us to either,
• so they are indistinguishable.
• Equivalence relation partitions (equivalence
classes): { {p}, {q,r} }

CMPE 322/327 Theory of Computation 10

Table Filling Algorithm: Example 1

p
0 q • Equivalence relation partitions (equivalence
classes): { {p}, {q,r} }
1 1
1 • q and r are indistinguishable.
0
r

p
0,1 {q,r} 1