Introduction

Theory of Computation

Course Code: 10B11CI513 Credit: 4

L-T-P Scheme: 3-1-0

Course Coordinator:- Dr. Ajay Kumar

Department of CSE
Textbook
 K.L.P.Mishra: Theory of Computer Science 3rd
Edition.
 Michael Sipser: Introduction to the Theory of
Computation, second edition, 2006
Supplementary Readings:
 J. Hopcroft, R. Motwani and J. Ullman, Introduction to
Automata, Languages, and Computation, Third
edition, China Machine Press, 2007
 C. Baier and J. Katoen, Principles of Model Checking,
2008, MIT Press.
Prerequisites:
 Discrete Mathematics and
 Basic knowledge of algorithms
Focus
 Automata
 Computability
 Complexity

 Each area is interpreted differently and the

answer varies according to the interpretation.
Why study Theory of Computing?
 What are the fundamental capabilities and
limitations of computers?
 ( All the previous area can be link to this question)
Complexity
 What makes some problems computationally
hard and others easy?

 Example : Sorting problem and scheduling problem

 Scheduling thousand classes make take centuries in order to

find best schedule
 We do not know the exact answer (past 35 year)
Outcome of Complexity Theory
 We can demonstrate that certain problem are
computationally hard
If not:
 Which aspect of the problem is at the root of the
difficulty(we can alter it)

 Settle for less perfect solution

 Some problem are hard in only in the worst case

situation and easy most of the time
( Helps in designing hard problem by cryptographer)
Computability theory
 What can and can not be computed?

Example: The problem of determining whether a

mathematical statement is true or false

(Can be solved by mathematician but no computer algorithm can

solve it)
Outcome of both studies
 Complexity: Classifying problem into easy and
hard

 Computability: Solvable and non-solvable

problem
Automata theory
 Definition, properties of mathematical model of
computation

 FSM: Text processing, complier design and

hardware design

 CFG: Programming language and AI

Outcome
 What is a computer?
 Formal definition of computation
 Computational models
 Turing machines (= real computers)
 Simpler computing devices: finite state
automata, push-down automata
What is Theory Good for?
 Elegant way of thinking
 Expanding your minds
 Useful tools in practice
 finite automata, regular expressions:
text processing
 grammars: programming language
design and specification
 NP-hardness: approximate solutions or
randomized computation
A Brief History: Hilbert’s Program
 Hilbert’s program (1920’s)
① Axiomatization of all mathematics
② Completeness: all true mathematical
statements can be proved in the formalism
③ Consistency: no contradiction can be obtained
in the formalism of mathematics
④ Decidability: there should be an algorithm for
deciding the truth or falsity of any
mathematical statement

“We must know. We will know”.

 History: Godel’s Incomplete Theorems

Godel’s first incomplete Theorem (1931)

 no consistent system of axioms whose
theorems can be listed by an "effective
procedure" (essentially, a computer program)
is capable of proving all facts about the natural
numbers.

 However, in 1940’s Tarski showed that the first order

theory of the real numbers with addition and
multiplication is decidable. In this sense, number theory
is more difficult than real analysis to computer scientists.
Goedel and Turing (1931-1936)

Goedel (1906-1978) Turing (1912-1954)

History: Turing Machine (1936)
Action: based on
the state and the
tape symbol under
the head: change
State state, rewrite the
symbol and move the
head one square.

... A B C A D ...

Infinite tape with

squares containing
tape symbols chosen
from a finite alphabet
Church and Kleene

(1903-1995) (1909-1994)
 History: Church-Turing Thesis

Intuitive notion = Turing machine

of algorithm of Algorithm

 An algorithm is an effective method expressed as a

finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating
a function.
History: Automata
 Scott & Rabin: Finite Automata and
their Decision Problems, 1959
 Kleene: Regular languages
In a nonderministic machine, several choices
may exist for the next state at any point.
A Simple Automata
Automatic Door as an automaton
Front
Rear Front Rear
Both Both
Neither

closed
closed Open

Neither

Neither Front Rear Both

Closed Closed Open Closed Closed
open Open Closed Open Open
History: P and NP
Classify into two kinds of problems:
① Those that can be solved efficiently by
computers
② Those that can be solved in principles, but in
practice take so much time that computers are
useless for all but very small instances of the
problem.
Why Study Automata Theory
 Software for designing and checking the
behavior of digit circuits
 Software for verifying systems of all types that
have a finite number of distinct states, such as
communication protocols or protocols for
secure exchange of information.
Why Study Computability Theory (1)
 Halting Problem (Turing):
Given a description of a program, decide
whether the program finishes running or will
continue to run, and thereby run forever. This
is equivalent to the problem of deciding, given
a program and an input, whether the program
will eventually halt when run with that input, or
will run forever.
Why Study Complexity Theory (P)
Kruskal Algorithm (Minimal spanning tree problem)
Why Study Complexity Theory (NP)
Clique Problem
Why Study Complexity Theory
(Application)

 Primality Testing and Cryptography

There are a number of techniques based on RSA
codes that enhance computer security, for
which the most common methods in use today
rely on the assumption that it is hard to factor
numbers, that is, given a composite number, to
find its prime factors.

 Shor’s algorithm and Quantum Computation

Classical Theory

de Algorithm
ci d
ab
in le
effi
ci e
nt Decidability
effi
ci e
nt
Efficiency (P vs. NP)
Welcome to Turing’s World
Automata Theory
 Automata theory deals with the
definitions and properties of
mathematical models of computation.
 The theories of computability and
complexity require a precise definition of
a computer. Automata theory allows
practice with formal definitions of
computation
Computability Theory And
Complexity Theory
 What can and can not be computed?
 How quickly can a problem be
computed?
 Next Class

 Basics of discrete Mathematics