Automata and Language Theory

A New Method for Defining Language

Is characteristically a three step process
We specify some basic objects in the set
We give rules for constructing more objects in
the set from the ones we already know
We declare that no objects except those
constructed in this way are allowed
A New Method for Defining Language
Example
Suppose that we are trying to define the set of
positive even integers for someone who knows
about arithmetic, but has never heard of the
even numbers.

 EVEN is the set of all positive who numbers divisible

by 2
A New Method for Defining Language
 EVEN is the set of all 2n where n = 1 2 3 3…

by recursive definition:

 The set EVEN is defined by these three rules:
Rule 1 2 is EVEN
Rule 2 If x is EVEN, then so is x+2
Rule 3 The only elements in the set EVEN
are those that can be produced
from the two rules above
A New Method for Defining Language
To prove that 14 is even
 By Rule 1, we know that 2 is in EVEN

 Then by Rule 2, we know that 2+2 is also in EVEN

 Again by Rule 2, we know that since 4 has just been

shown to e in EVEN, 4+2=6 is also in EVEN

 The fact that 6 is in EVEN means that when we apply

Rule 2, we deduce that 6+2=8 is in EVEN too

……..
 And, at last, by applying Rule 2, yet again, to the

number 12, we conclude that 12+2=14 is, indeed in

EVEN
A New Method for Defining Language
The set EVEN is defined by these two rules:
Rule 1 2 is in EVEN
Rule 2 If x and y are both in EVEN, then
so is
x+y
A New Method for Defining Language
Prove that 14 is in EVEN in fewer steps:
 By rule 1, 2 is EVEN
 By rule 2, x=2, y=2, x+y=4 is in EVEN
 By rule 2, x=2, y=4, x+y=6 is in EVEN
 By rule 2, x=4, y=4, x+y=8 is in EVEN
 By rule 2, x=6, y=8, x+y=14 is in EVEN
A New Method for Defining Language
Example
 The following is a recursive definition of the positive
integers
Rule 1 1 is in INTEGERS
Rule 2 If x is in INTEGERS, the so is x+1
(not including negatives)
A New Method for Defining Language
Rule 1 1 is in INTEGERS
Rule 2 If both x and y are in INTEGERS,
then so are x+y and x-y

Since 1-1=0 and for all positivex, o-x=-x, we see

that negative integers an zero are all included in this
definition
A New Method for Defining Language
The set POLYNOMIAL is defined by these three
rules
Rule 1 Any number is in POLYNOMIAL.
Rule 2 The variable x is in POLYNOMIAL.
Rule 3 If p and q are POLYNOMIAL,
then so are p+q, p-q, (p), & pq

Try to prove that 3x2+7x-9 is in POLYNOMIAL

A New Method for Defining Language
Observe how natural the following definition are

Rule 1 x is in L1.
Rule 2 If w is any word in L1, then xw is
also in L1
L1=x+={x xx xxx ….}
A New Method for Defining Language
Rule 1 ^ is in L4
Rule 2 if w is any word in L4, then xw is
also in l4
L4=x*
….
A New Method for Defining Language
The definition of Kleene closure might have
benefited from a recursive definition:
Rule 1 If S is a language, then all the
words of S are in S*
Rule 2 ^ is in S*
Rule 3 If x and y are in S*, then so is their
concatenation xy.
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
∑ - {0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + - * / ( )}

What can you say about the following

- (3+5)+6)
- 2(/8+9)
- (3+(4-)8)
- 2)-(4
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
Recursive Definition of AE
Rule 1 Any Number(+,-,0) is in AE
Rule 2 If x is in AE, then so are
(i) (x)
(ii) –x (provided x does not already start with a - sign)
Rule 3 If x and y are in AE, then so are:
(i) x + y (if the first symbol in y is not + or –
(ii) x - y (if the first symbol in y is not + or –
(iii) x*y
(iv) x/y
(v) x**y (our notation for exponentiation)
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
 Try to prove
(2+4) * (7*(9-3)/4) / 4 * (2+8) - 1
is in AE
 Prove that
 An arithmetic expression cannot contain the

character $
 No AE can begin or end with the symbol /.

 No AE can contain the substring //.

Quiz Prove that 78 is in set EVEN using the
following recursive definition:
Rule 1 2 and 4 are in EVEN
Rule 2 If x is in EVEN, then so x+4
Give the recursive definition for the set

POWER-OF-TWO = {1 2 4 8 16……}
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression