CSI 3104 /Winter 2006: Introduction to Formal Languages Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

We introduce the first non-deterministic but simple theoretical machine: Transition Graph.

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

b a

a b
a,b

An FA: {baa} a,b The word a? The word baabb? The input fails, or the machine fails on the input. The input is rejected.
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

ba

a
b a,b a,b
+

aa, ab, bb

A transition graph that accepts the language {baa} What it seems to be a More Powerful Machine

Dr. Nejib Zaguia

CSI3104-W06

Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Two other equivalent Transition Graphs with fewer states baa baa
+ +

all else

a,b

a,b

The word a? The word baabb? The input crashes. The machine crashes. The input is rejected. (2 ways for an input to be rejected)
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

a,b

a,b aa,bb
+

baa? a choice, a decision 2 possible paths

b|aa - accepted b|a|a - rejected 1 way to crash ba|a rejected The machine represents a language L. baa L? For all w, w L if there exists a path that arrives at a final state.
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

ba

ab
+

baa

baab? 2 possible paths, both end in a final state.

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

A transition graph (TG) is the following 3 things: 1. a finite set of states, at least one of which is designated as the start state, and some (maybe none) of which are designated the final states (or accepting states) 2. an alphabet of input letters 3. a finite set of transitions that show how to go to a new state, for some pairs of state and substrings of letters (or ). (One pair can have 0, 1, or more next-states.)
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

A successful path is a series of edges beginning at some start state and ending at a final state. The concatenation of all the substrings that label the edges in the path is a word accepted by this machine. The set of words accepted is the language of the transition graph.

Dr. Nejib Zaguia

CSI3104-W06

Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Example:
1

abb

L aa

4 +

b
2 3 1 4

abbaab

abb

aa

abbab crashes.
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Many start states

1 2 3

a b aba
+

1 2

a b aba
+

L L

These two machines are clearly equivalent. Remark: Every finite automaton is a transition graph.
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

L=

L = {L} L baa
+

abba

L = {L, abba, baa}

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

L = {}
+ +

L
+

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

All words ending in b: (a+b)*b

a,b
b +

FA b a

b
+

transition graph: Some words can fail, crash, and succeed: abab.

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CSI3104-W06

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

a,b b a b aa b aa
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a,b a b b b
+

Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Language EVEN-EVEN

FA:
even a even b

b 2 b a b a 4 b
even a odd b

Transition Graph:
aa,bb
+ ab,ba aa,bb

1 +

a
odd a even b

a
balanced odd a odd b
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ab,ba
unbalanced

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

b a bbb a a a,b + b

a
b

ab bbb bb

abbbabbbabba

bb a
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

L
a a
+

Infinitely many paths for aa

Is there an algorithm to determine if a word is accepted?

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

L We can delete the L transition

a, L

a b, L
But not here
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

A generalized transition graph (GTG) is the following 3 things: 1. a finite set of states, at least one of which is designated as the start state, and some (maybe none) of which are designated the final states (or accepting states) 2. an alphabet of input letters 3. a finite set of edges connecting some pairs of states, each labeled with a regular expression
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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Words without 2 bs in a row: a*

a*
+

(ba+a)*

b+L

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Kleene Star Closure and Loops b

a,b
+

a,b

(a+b)*

(a+b)

b*

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Choosing Transitions

ab

abb

abb
5

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abb
5

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Chapter 6: Transition Graphs

Choices even with restriction of 1 letter per edge

8

Machine is nondeterministic

b b

9 1 0

7
8

b
1 0

a b L
9

23

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