Finite Automata

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 Finite Automaton

Input
String
Output
“Accept”
Finite
or
Automaton
“Reject”

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 Transition Graph
a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

initial accepting
state state
transition
state
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 Initial Configuration
Input String
a b b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Reading the Input

a b b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

6
a b b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

7
a b b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Input finished

a b b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

accept
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 Rejection

a b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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a b a

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Input finished

a b a

a, b

reject
q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 Another Rejection

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

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 

a, b

q5
a, b
b a a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

reject
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 Another Example

a a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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a a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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a a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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a a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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 Input finished

a a b

a a, b
accept

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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 Rejection Example

b a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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b a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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b a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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b a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

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 Input finished

b a b

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

reject

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Languages Accepted by FAs
FA M

Definition:
The languageLM  contains
M
all input strings accepted by

LM  M
= { strings that bring
to an accepting state}

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 Example
LM  abba M

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

accept

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 Example
LM   , ab, abba M

a, b

q5
b a a a, b
b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

accept accept accept

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 Example

n
LM  {a b : n 0}

a a, b

b a, b
q0 q1 q2

accept trap state

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 Language Accepted by FAs
For a FA M Q, ,  , q0 , F 

M
Language accepted by :

LM  w  * :  * q0 , w F 

q0 w q q  F

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 Observation
Language rejected byM :

LM  w  * :  * q0 , w F 

q0 w q q  F

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 Example
LM= { all strings with prefix ab }
a, b

q0 a q1 b q2

b a accept

q3 a, b

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 Example
LM = { all strings without
substring 001 }

1 0 0,1
1

 0 1
0 00 001

0
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 Example

L( M ) awa : w  a, b *
a
b
b
q0 a q2 q3

b a
q4

a, b
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Regular Languages
Definition:
A languageL is regular if there is
FA M such that L LM 

Observation:
All languages accepted by FAs
form the family of regular languages

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Examples of regular languages:

abba  , ab, abba

awa : w  a, b * {a nb : n 0}
{ all strings with prefix ab }
{ all strings without substring 001 }

There exist automata that accept these

Languages (see previous slides).
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There exist languages which are not Regular:
n n
Example: L{a b : n 0}

here is no FA that accepts such a language

(we will prove this later in the class)

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