Non-Deterministic

Finite Automata
Nondeterministic Finite Accepter (NFA)

Alphabet set = {a}

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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Nondeterministic Finite Accepter (NFA)

Alphabet set = {a}

q1 a q2 No transition
a
q0
a
q3 No transition

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Nondeterministic Finite Accepter (NFA)

Alphabet set = {a}

Two choices q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a a
All input is consumed

q1 a q2 “accept”
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
No transition:
q3
the automaton hangs

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 Second Choice

a a
Input cannot be consumed

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”

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An NFA accepts a string:
when there is a computation of the NFA
that accepts the string

AND
all the input is consumed and the automaton
is in a final state

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 Example

aa is accepted by the NFA:

“accept”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0 q0
a a
q3 q3 “reject”
because this
computation
accepts aa
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 15
 Rejection example

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a
“reject”
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”

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An NFA rejects a string:
when there is no computation of the NFA
that accepts the string:

• All the input is consumed and the

automaton is in a non final state

OR

• The input cannot be consumed

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 22
 Example

a is rejected by the NFA:

“reject”
q1 a q2 a
q1 q2
a a
q0 q0
a a
q3
“reject” q3

All possible computations lead to rejection

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 23
 Rejection example

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 First Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0 No transition:
a
the automaton hangs
q3

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 First Choice

a a a
Input cannot be consumed

q1 a q2 “reject”
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Second Choice

a a a

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
No transition:
q3
the automaton hangs

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 Second Choice

a a a
Input cannot be consumed

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”

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aaa is rejected by the NFA:

“reject”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0 q0
a a
q3 q3 “reject”

All possible computations lead to rejection

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 32
Language accepted: L  {aa}

q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3

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 Lambda Transitions

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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 (read head does not move)

a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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 all input is consumed

a a

“accept”

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

String aa is accepted
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 Rejection Example

a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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 (read head doesn’t move)

a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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a a a

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

No transition:
the automaton hangs
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Input cannot be consumed

a a a

“reject”

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

String aaa is rejected

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Language accepted: L  {aa}

q0 a q1  q2 a q3

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 Another NFA Example

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b

“accept”

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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 Another String

a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


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a b a b

“accept”

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 58
 Language accepted

L  ab, abab, ababab, ...


 ab

q0 a q1 b q2  q3


Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 59
Another NFA Example

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q2
1

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 Language accepted

L(M ) = {λ, 10, 1010, 101010, ...}

= {10} *
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q2
1 (redundant
state)

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 61
Remarks:
•The  symbol never appears on the
input tape

•Simple automata:

M1 M2
q0 q0

L(M1 ) = {} L(M 2 ) = {λ}

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 62
 Formal Definition of NFAs
M  Q, ,  , q0 , F 

Q : Set of states, i.e. q0 , q1, q2 

 : Input aplhabet, i.e. a, b
: Transition function

q0 : Initial state

F : Final states
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 63
 Transition Function 

 q , x   q1, q2,, qk 

q1
x resulting states with
q x
q1 following one transition
x
with symbol x

qk
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 64
Transition Function 

 q0 , 1  q1

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

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  (q1,0)  {q0 , q2}

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

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  (q0 ,  )  {q0 , q2}

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

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  (q2 ,1)  

0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1

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Activity
Time
Is the Transition Function for NFA infinite?
Define its Domain X Range..
Extended Transition Function  *

 * q0 , a   q1

q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 70
  * q0 , aa   q4 , q5 

q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 71
  * q0 , ab   q2 , q3 , q0 

q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3

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Special case:

for any state q

q   q ,  
*

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 Formally
q j   * qi , w : there is a walk from qi to q j
with label w

qi w qj

w  1 2  k
1 2 k
qi qj

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 74

 The Language of an NFA M
F  q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 * q0 , aa   q4 , q5 aa  L(M )

F
Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 75
 F  q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 * q0 , ab   q2 , q3 , q0  ab LM 

F
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F  q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 * q0 , abaa   q4 , q5 aaba L(M )

F
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F  q0 ,q5 
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


 * q0 , aba   q1 aba  LM 

F
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 q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2  q3


LM   ab  *  ab  * {aa }

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 Formally
The language accepted by NFA M is:
LM   w1, w2 , w3 ,...

where  * (q0 , wm )  {qi , q j ,..., qk ,}

and there is some qk  F (final state)

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 80

w LM   * (q0 , w)
qi
w

q0
qk qk  F
w
w qj

Courtesy Costas Busch - RPI 81