Lecture 2

Last time:
- Finite automata, regular languages
- Regular operations
- Regular expressions
- Closure under

Today:
- Nondeterminism
- Closure under and
- Regular expressions → finite automata
Goal: Show finite automata equivalent to regular expressions

1
 Closure Properties for Regular Languages
Theorem: If are regular languages, so is (closure under )
Recall proof attempt: Let recognize
recognize
Construct recognizing

𝑀1 𝑀2

should accept input

if where
accepts and accepts .
𝑀
𝑤
𝑥 𝑦
Doesn’t work: Where to split ?
Hold off. Need new concept.

3
 Nondeterministic Finite Automata(NFA)
𝑁1 a a
b a,ε
𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞3 𝑞4
b

New features of nondeterminism:

- multiple paths possible (0, 1 or many at each step)
- ε-transition is a “free” move without reading input
- Accept input if some path leads to accept
Check-in 2.1
Example inputs:
- ab accept What does do on input aab
Nondeterminism ?
doesn’t
- aa reject (a) Accept
correspond to a physical
- aba accept (b)machine
Reject
- abb reject
we can build.
(c) Both Accept and
However, Reject
it is useful Check-in 2.1

4mathematically.
 NFA – Formal Definition
𝑁1 a a
b a,ε
𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞3 𝑞4
b

Defn: A nondeterministic finite automaton (NFA)

is a 5-tuple a
Ways to think about
sta alp tran sta cce
tes ha siti rt s pt
be o ta st
t n f te ate
nondeterminism:
un s
cti
on Computational: Fork new parallel
- all same as before except thread and accept if any thread
- leads to an accept state.
power set
Σ ∪{ε } Mathematical: Tree with
- In the example: branches.
Accept if any branch leads to an
accept state.
5
Magical: Guess at each
 Converting NFAs to DFAs
Theorem: If an NFA recognizes then is regular
Proof: Let NFA recognize
Construct DFA recognizing
(Ignore the ε-transitions, can easily modify to handle them)
ID E A : D FA keeps track of the subset of possible states in
NFA .
Check-in 2.2
𝑀 𝑀′ Construction of :
If has states,
𝑞 3 how many
states does have by this
construction? , for some
(a)
𝑞7
(b)
(c) intersects
NFA DFA
Check-in 2.2
6
 Return to Closure Properties
Recall Theorem: If are regular languages, so is
(The class of regular languages is closed under
union)
New Proof (sketch): Given DFAs and recognizing
and
𝑀 𝑀1 Construct NFA recognizing
Nondetermini
sm
ε parallelism
vs
𝑀2 guessing
ε

7
 Closure under (concatenation)
Theorem: If are regular languages, so is
Proof sketch: Given DFAs and recognizing and
Construct NFA recognizing

𝑀
𝑀1 𝑀2
ε
should accept input
ε if where
accepts and accepts .

𝑤=¿ 𝑥 𝑦
Nondeterministic has the option to
jump to when accepts.

8
 Closure under (star/kleen)
Theorem: If is a regular language, so is
Proof sketch: Given DFA recognizing
Construct NFA recognizing

𝑀′
Check-in 2.3
𝑀 ε should accept input
ε If has states,
if how many states does
ε
have bywhere
this construction?
and accepts each
(a)
(b) 𝑤=¿
𝑥1 𝑥 2 𝑥 3 𝑥4
Make sure accepts ε (c)

9
 Regular Expressions NFA
Theorem: If is a regular expr and then is regular
Proof: Convert to equivalent NFA :

If is atomic: Equivalent is:

𝑎 Example:
for
Convert to equivalent NFA
: a
: b
: a ε b
If is composite:

}
: ε a
Use closure constructions ε a ε b
:
a ε
ε ε a ε b
ε
10 ε
 Quick review of today

1. Nondeterministic fi nite automata (NFA)

2. Proved: NFA and DFA are equivalent in power
3. Proved: Class of regular languages is closed
under
4. Conversion of regular expressions to NFA

Check-in 2.4

11