Regular Expressions

Regular Expressions
Regular Expressions
Regular expressions
describe regular languages
Example:
(a b c) *
describes the language
a, bc * , a, bc, aa, abc, bca,...
Recursive Definition
Primitive regular expressions:
Given regular expressions
r1
, ,
and
r2
r1 r2
r1 r2
r1 *
r1
Are regular expressions
Examples
A regular expression:
a b c * (c )
Not a regular expression:
a b
Languages of Regular Expressions
L r
: language of regular expression
Example
L (a b c) * , a, bc, aa, abc, bca,...
Definition
For primitive regular expressions:
L
L
L a a
Definition (continued)
For regular expressions r1 and r2
L r1 r2 L r1 L r2
L r1 r2 L r1 L r2
L r1 * L r1 *
L r1 L r1
Example
Regular expression: a b a *
L a b a * L a b L a *
L a b L a *
L a L b L a *
a b a *
a, b , a, aa, aaa,...
a, aa, aaa,..., b, ba, baa,...
Example
Regular expression
r a b * a bb
L r a, bb, aa, abb, ba, bbb,...
Example
Regular expression
L r {a b
r aa * bb * b
2n 2m
b : n, m 0}
Example
Regular expression
r (0 1) * 00 (0 1) *
L(r ) = { all strings containing substring 00 }
Example
Regular expression
r (1 01) * (0 )
L(r ) = { all strings without substring 00 }
Equivalent Regular Expressions

Definition:
Regular expressions
are equivalent if
r1
and
r2
L(r1 ) L(r2 )
Example
= { all strings without substring 00 }
r1 (1 01) * (0 )
r2 (1* 011*) * (0 ) 1* (0 )
L(r1 ) L(r2 ) L
r1
and r2
are equivalent
regular expressions
Regular Expressions
and
Regular Languages
Theorem
Languages
Generated by
Regular Expressions
Regular
Languages
Proof:
Languages
Generated by
Regular Expressions
Regular
Languages
Languages
Generated by
Regular Expressions
Regular
Languages
Proof - Part 1
Languages
Generated by
Regular Expressions
Regular
Languages
For any regular expression r

the language L (r ) is regular
Proof by induction on the size of
Induction Basis
Primitive Regular Expressions:
Corresponding
NFAs
, ,
L( M1 ) L()
L( M 2 ) {} L( )
a
L( M 3 ) {a} L(a )
regular
languages
Inductive Hypothesis
Suppose
that for regular expressions r1 and r2 ,
L(r1 ) and L(r2 ) are regular languages
Inductive Step
We will prove:
L r1 r2
L r1 r2
L r1 *
L r1
Are regular
Languages
By definition of regular expressions:
L r1 r2 L r1 L r2
L r1 r2 L r1 L r2
L r1 * L r1 *
L r1 L r1
By inductive hypothesis we know:

L(r1 ) and L(r2 ) are regular languages
We also know:
Regular languages are closed under:
Union
Concatenation
Star
L r1 L r2
L r1 L r2
L r1 *
Therefore:
L r1 r2 L r1 L r2
L r1 r2 L r1 L r2
Are regular
languages
L r1 * L r1 *
L((r1 )) L(r1 )
is trivially a regular language

(by induction hypothesis)
End of Proof-Part 1
Using the regular closure of these operations,

we can construct recursively the NFA M
that accepts L(M ) L(r )
Example: r r1 r2
L(M1 ) L(r1 )
L(M2 ) L(r2 )
L(M ) L(r )
Proof - Part 2
Languages
Generated by
Regular Expressions
Regular
Languages
For any regular language L there is

a regular expression r with L ( r )
We will convert an NFA that accepts
to a regular expression
Since L is regular, there is a

NFA M that accepts it
L( M ) L
Take it with a single final state
From M construct the equivalent

Generalized Transition Graph
in which transition labels are regular expressions
Example:
Corresponding
Generalized transition graph
M
a
c
a, b
c
ab
Another Example:
q0
q1 a, b
q2
Transition labels
are regular
expressions
q0
a
b
q1 a b q2
Reducing the states:
q0
q1 a b q2
Transition labels
are regular
expressions
bb * a
q0
b
bb * (a b)
q2
Resulting Regular Expression:
bb * a
q0
b
bb * (a b)
q2
r (bb * a ) * bb * (a b)b *
L(r ) L( M ) L
In General
e
Removing a state:
d
qi
c
qj
q
a
ae * d
ce * b
ce * d
qi
ae * b
qj
By repeating the process until

two states are left, the resulting graph is
Initial graph
Resulting graph
r1
q0
r3
r2
r4
qf
The resulting regular expression:
r r1 * r2 (r4 r3r1 * r2 ) *
L(r ) L( M ) L
End of Proof-Part 2
Standard Representations
of Regular Languages
Regular Languages
DFAs
NFAs
Regular
Expressions
When we say:
We mean:
We are given
a Regular Language
Language L is in a standard
representation
(DFA, NFA, or Regular Expression)

Regular Expressions

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Regular Expressions

a, bc * , a, bc, aa, abc, bca,...

Are regular expressions

Not a regular expression:

Languages of Regular Expressions

: language of regular expression

L (a b c) * , a, bc, aa, abc, bca,...

L r a, bb, aa, abb, ba, bbb,...

L(r ) = { all strings containing substring 00 }

L(r ) = { all strings without substring 00 }

Equivalent Regular Expressions

= { all strings without substring 00 }

For any regular expression r

By definition of regular expressions:

By inductive hypothesis we know:

is trivially a regular language

Using the regular closure of these operations,

For any regular language L there is

Since L is regular, there is a

Take it with a single final state

From M construct the equivalent

Reducing the states:

Resulting Regular Expression:

By repeating the process until

The resulting regular expression:

(DFA, NFA, or Regular Expression)

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