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Left Recursion and Left Factoring

This document discusses left recursion and left factoring in context-free grammars. It explains that left recursion can cause problems for top-down parsers as they may enter an infinite loop. It provides examples of eliminating immediate and non-immediate left recursion through transformations. It also discusses how left factoring can improve efficiency by preventing redundant parsing of common prefixes.

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Adiba Ispahani
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
495 views

Left Recursion and Left Factoring

This document discusses left recursion and left factoring in context-free grammars. It explains that left recursion can cause problems for top-down parsers as they may enter an infinite loop. It provides examples of eliminating immediate and non-immediate left recursion through transformations. It also discusses how left factoring can improve efficiency by preventing redundant parsing of common prefixes.

Uploaded by

Adiba Ispahani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Parsing

Left Recursion and Left


Factoring
Why use Context Free Grammars

Every construct that can be described by a regular


expression can be described by a grammar, but not
vice-versa. Alternatively, every regular language is a
context-free language, but not vice-versa.
• L={ anbn | n1}

• Show that L can be described by a grammar not by a


regular expression
• Construct a DFA D with k states to accept L
• For anbn (n>k) some state (si) of D must be entered
twice

S0   f
Path labeled ambn
Left Recursion – Why is it bad

• A grammar is left recursive if it can be represented in


the form:

• Why is this a problem for top down parsing?


Left Recursion – Why is it bad

• Example:

Left recursive grammar Equivalent Right Recursive


grammar
S -> Sa | b
S -> bR
To derive baa: R -> aR | €
Left and Right Recursive Grammar

(a) (b)
Left Recursion Removal
Immediate Left Recursion Elimination: example

• Grammar
EE+T|T
TT *F|F
F  ( E ) | id

• Left recursion Eliminated (step 1)


E  T E‘
E'  + T E' | 
Immediate Left Recursion Elimination: example

• Grammar
EE+T|T
TT *F|F
F  ( E ) | id

• Left recursion Eliminated (step 2)


E  T E‘
E'  + T E' | 
T  F T'
T'  * F T' | 
Immediate Left Recursion Elimination: example

• Grammar
EE+T|T
TT *F|F
F  ( E ) | id

• Left recursion Eliminated (step 3)


E  T E'
E'  + T E' | 
T  F T'
T'  * F T' | 
F  ( E ) | id
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Left Recursion in More Than One Step

Next Form
Left Recursion in More Than One Step
Algorithm for Eliminating Left Recursion
Left Factoring

• Consider the following grammar:

Suppose a top down parser is trying to generate the string: ibtaea


How will a top down parser work?

Remember that a parser has limited look ahead symbols (1 look ahead
usually)
Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

Given string: ibtaea


Left Factoring

• So to eliminate the problem of generating the same


grammar string multiple times, take a common
grammar string and factor it out:
Given Grammar:

Left Factored Equivalent of the grammar:


Left Factoring

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