Compiler Construction

LECTURE 8
NFA → DFA Construction 2
 The algorithm is called subset construction.
 In the transition table of an NFA, each entry is a set of states.
 In DFA, each entry is a single state
NFA → DFA Construction 3

The general idea behind NFA-

to-DFA construction is that
each DFA state corresponds to
a set of NFA states.
NFA → DFA Construction 4

The DFA uses its state to keep

track of all possible states the
NFA can be in after reading
each input symbol.
NFA → DFA Construction 5

We will use the following

operations.
-closure(T):
set of NFA states reachable
from some NFA state s in T on
-transitions alone.
NFA  DFA Construction 6

move(T,a):
set of NFA states to which
there is a transition on input a
from some NFA state s in set of
states T.
NFA → DFA Construction 7

Before it sees the first input

symbol, NFA can be in
any of the state in the set
-closure(s0), where s0 is the
start state of the NFA.
NFA → DFA Construction 8

Suppose that exactly the states

in set T are reachable from s0
on a given sequence of input
symbols.
NFA → DFA Construction 9

Let a be the next input symbol.

On seeing a, the NFA can move
to any of the states in the set
move(T,a).
NFA → DFA Construction 10

Let a be the next input symbol.

On seeing a, the NFA can move
to any of the states in the set
move(T,a).
NFA → DFA Construction 11

When we allow for

-transitions, NFA can be in
any of the states in
-closure(move(T,a))
after seeing a.
Subset Construction 12

Algorithm:
Input:
NFA N with state set S,
alphabet , start state s0,
final states F
Subset Construction 13

Output:
DFA D with state set S’,
alphabet , start states
s0’ = -closure(s0), final
states F’, transition
table: S’ x  → S’
Algorithm 14

// initially, e-closure(s0) is the only

// state in D states S’ and it is
// unmarked
s0’ = -closure(s0)
S’ = {s0’ } (unmarked)
while there is some unmarked state T 15
in S’
mark state T
for all a in  do
U = -closure( move(T,a) );
if U not already in S’
add U as an unmarked state to S’
Dtran(T,a) = U;
end for
end while
Algorithm 16

F’:
for each DFA state S
if S contains an NFA final state
mark S as DFA final state
Subset Construction Example 17

a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

NFA for (a | b )*abb
 
a 18
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 The start state of equivalent DFA is -closure(0), which is
A = {0,1,2,4,7}
 
a 19
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 A = {0,1,2,4,7}, these are exactly the states reachable from state 0 via -
transition.
 
20
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 The input symbol alphabet here is {a,b}.
 
21
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 The algorithm tells us to mark A and then compute
-closure(move(A,a))
 
a 22
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 move(A,a)), is the set of states of NFA that have transition on ‘a’ from
members of A.
  23
2 a
3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 Only 2 and 7 have such transition, to 3 and 8.
 
24
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 So, -closure(move(A,a)) =
-closure({3,8}) =
{1,2,3,4,6,7,8}
  25
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 Let B = {1,2,3,4,6,7,8}.
 Thus Dtran[A,a] = B
  26
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 For input b, among states in A, only 4 has transition on b to 5
 
27
2 a 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 C = -closure({5})
= {1,2,4,5,6,7}
 Thus, Dtran[A,b] = C
 
28
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 We continue this process with the unmarked sets B and C
 
29
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 i.e., -closure(move(B,a)),
-closure(move(B,b)),
 
30
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 -closure(move(C,a)) and
-closure(move(C,b))
  31
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 Until all sets and states of DFA are marked.
 
32
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 This is certain since there are only 211 (!) different subsets of a set of 11
states.
  33
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 
b
4 5

 And a set, once marked, is marked forever.
Subset Construction 34
Eventually, the 5 sets are:
A={0,1,2,4,7}
B={1,2,3,4,6,7,8}
C={1,2,4,5,6,7}
D={1,2,4,5,6,7,9}
E={1,2,4,5,6,7,10}
  35
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 b

4 5

A is start state
A={0,1,2,4,7} D={1,2,4,5,6,7,9}
B={1,2,3,4,6,7,8} E={1,2,4,5,6,7,10}
C={1,2,4,5,6,7}
  36
a
2 3
 
  a b b
0 1 6 7 8 9 10
 b

4 5

E is accepting state
A={0,1,2,4,7} D={1,2,4,5,6,7,9}
B={1,2,3,4,6,7,8} E={1,2,4,5,6,7,10}
C={1,2,4,5,6,7}
Resulting DFA 37
a a
a b b
A B D E
a
b a
b
C

b
DFA for (a | b )*abb
Resulting DFA 38
a a
a b b
A B D E
a
b a
b
C

b a a a a b b
Final Transition Table
Input symbol
State a b

A B C
B B D
C B C
D B E
E B C39