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Introduction To Effective BC

The document describes techniques for simplifying context-free grammars, including: 1. Removing nullable variables by substituting their productions and eliminating  productions. 2. Removing unit productions by substituting the right-hand variable for the left-hand one. 3. Identifying and removing useless variables and productions that cannot contribute to sentences in the language. This is done by finding reachable variables from the start symbol S. Removing elements in this order guarantees the grammar is simplified while preserving language equivalence.

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Kainat Baig
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
28 views

Introduction To Effective BC

The document describes techniques for simplifying context-free grammars, including: 1. Removing nullable variables by substituting their productions and eliminating  productions. 2. Removing unit productions by substituting the right-hand variable for the left-hand one. 3. Identifying and removing useless variables and productions that cannot contribute to sentences in the language. This is done by finding reachable variables from the start symbol S. Removing elements in this order guarantees the grammar is simplified while preserving language equivalence.

Uploaded by

Kainat Baig
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Simplifications

of
Context-Free Grammars

Costas Busch - LSU 1


A Substitution Rule

Equivalent
grammar
S  aB
S  aB | ab
A  aaA
Substitute A  aaA
A  abBc B b A  abBc | abbc
B  aA
B  aA
Bb
Costas Busch - LSU 2
S  aB | ab
A  aaA
A  abBc | abbc
B  aA
Substitute
B  aA

S  aB | ab | aaA
Equivalent
A  aaA
A  abBc | abbc | abaAc
grammar
Costas Busch - LSU 3
In general: A  xBz

B  y1

Substitute
B  y1

equivalent
A  xBz | xy1z grammar
Costas Busch - LSU 4
Nullable Variables

  production : X 
Nullable Variable: Y  
Example: S  aMb
M  aMb
M 

Nullable variable   production


Costas Busch - LSU 5
Removing   production s
S  aMb S  aMb | ab
Substitute
M  aMb M  M  aMb | ab
M 

After we remove all the   production s


all the nullable variables disappear
(except for the start variable)

Costas Busch - LSU 6


Unit-Productions
Unit Production: X Y
(a single variable in both sides)

Example: S  aA
Aa
A B
Unit Productions
BA
B  bb
Costas Busch - LSU 7
Removal of unit productions:

S  aA
S  aA | aB
Aa
Substitute Aa
A B A B B  A| B
BA
B  bb
B  bb

Costas Busch - LSU 8


Unit productions of form X X
can be removed immediately

S  aA | aB S  aA | aB
Aa Remove Aa
B  A| B BB BA
B  bb B  bb

Costas Busch - LSU 9


S  aA | aB
S  aA | aB | aA
Aa Substitute
BA Aa
BA
B  bb
B  bb

Costas Busch - LSU 10


Remove repeated productions

Final grammar
S  aA | aB | aA S  aA | aB
Aa Aa
B  bb B  bb

Costas Busch - LSU 11


Useless Productions

S  aSb
S 
SA
A  aA Useless Production

Some derivations never terminate...

S  A  aA  aaA    aaaA  
Costas Busch - LSU 12
Another grammar:

SA
A  aA
A
B  bA Useless Production
Not reachable from S

Costas Busch - LSU 13


In general:

If there is a derivation
S    xAy    w  L(G)
consists of
terminals
Then variable A is useful

Otherwise, variable A is useless

Costas Busch - LSU 14


A production A  x is useless
if any of its variables is useless

S  aSb
S  Productions
Variables S  A useless
useless A  aA useless
useless B  C useless

useless C  D useless
Costas Busch - LSU 15
Removing Useless Variables and Productions

Example Grammar: S  aS | A | C
Aa
B  aa
C  aCb

Costas Busch - LSU 16


First: find all variables that can produce
strings with only terminals or 
(possible useful variables)

S  aS | A | C Round 1: { A, B}
Aa (the right hand side of production
that has only terminals)

B  aa
Round 2: { A, B, S}
C  aCb (the right hand side of a production
has terminals and
variables of previous round)

This process can be generalized


Costas Busch - LSU 17
Then, remove productions that use variables
other than { A, B, S }

S  aS | A | C
Aa S  aS | A
B  aa Aa
C  aCb B  aa

Costas Busch - LSU 18


Second: Find all variables
reachable from S
Use a Dependency Graph
where nodes are variables

S  aS | A
Aa S A B
B  aa unreachable

Costas Busch - LSU 19


Keep only the variables
reachable from S

Final Grammar
S  aS | A
S  aS | A
Aa
Aa
B  aa
Contains only
useful variables

Costas Busch - LSU 20


Removing All
Step 1: Remove Nullable Variables

Step 2: Remove Unit-Productions

Step 3: Remove Useless Variables

This sequence guarantees that


unwanted variables and productions
are removed
Costas Busch - LSU 21

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