Tutorial 1 discussion document – Batch 01:

Worked Example:

1) Use set notation to define the language of the grammar below:

Answer:
S → aS | aA | c
A → Ab | λ L = {w ϵ {aic | i ≥ 0} U {aibj | i ≥ 1; j ≥ 0}}

S => c
S => aS => ac
S => aS => aaS => aac
S => aS => aaS => aaaS => aaac

S => aA => a
S => aS => aaA => aa
S => aS => aaS => aaaA => aaa

S => aA => a
S => aA => aAb => ab
S => aA => aAb => aAbb => abb

S => aA => aAb => ab

S => aS => aaA => aaAb => aab
S => aS => aaS => aaaA => aaaAb => aaab

2) Construct a grammar over {a, b} that recognizes the language {aib2i | i ≥ 1}

e.g., valid strings: abb, aabbbb, aaabbbbbb

in valid strings: baa, aba, a, b, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, bbabababab etc

S → abb |aSbb

S => aSbb => aabbbb

S => aSbb => aaSbbbb => aaabbbbbb

Questions:

1) For each of the following grammars, use set notation to define the language generated by the
grammar.
a) S → aaSB | λ
B → bB | b
L = {w ∈ { {a2i bj} | i ≥ 1, j ≥ i} ∪ {λ}}

The above language is correct.

2)
b) L = {w ϵ {a, b}* | w has odd length}
e.g., a, b, aaa, bbb, aab, aba, abb, baa, bab, bba, aaaaa, etc.. (Infinite number of odd length strings)

S → a | b |SSS

S => SSS => aSS => aaS => aaa

S => SSS => bSS => bbS => bbb

S => SSS => aSS => aaS => aab

S => SSS => SSSSS

S → a | b| aA |bA

A → aS |bS

S => aA => aaS => aab

S => aA => aaS => aaaA => aaaaS => aaaaa

S => bA => bbS => bbb

c) {w ϵ {a, b}* | w has b’s followed by a’s}

 Example valid strings are: ba, baa, bbba

baba is an invalid string.

S → bA | bS

A → a | aA

The above grammar is one possible solution.

S => bS => bbA => bbaA => bbaaA => bbaaa

S => bA

e) L = {w ϵ {an bn | n ≥ 0} }

f) L = {w ϵ {anbn cm| n ≥ 0, m ≥ 1}}

g) L = {w ϵ {ambn cm| m ≥ 0, n ≥ 1}}

Regular Expressions:

e.g., L = (ab U ba)*

e.g., strings: e, ab, ba, abab, abba, baba, baab, ababab, baabbab, etc.
3. For each of the following Regular Expressions, write a regular grammar that defines the same
language.
a) a*b*c*

e.g., valid strings are: e, a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, abc, aabc, abbbbc, abbcccc, aaaaaa, bbb, ccccc,
etc.

b) L = (a υ b υ c)* a(a υ b υ c)* b(a υ b υ c)* U (a υ b υ c)* b(a υ b υ c)* a(a υ b υ c)*

A a A b A U A b Aa A

A = (a υ b υ c)*

e.g., valid strings are: e, a, b, c, aa, bb, cc, ab, ac, ba, bc, ca, aaa, bbb, ccc, abc, cba, cab, bac,

S → AaAbA | AbAaA
A → λ | aA | bA | cA

A => cA => caA => cabA => cab

A => aA => abA => abcA => abc
A => aA =>a
A => aA => aaA => aa

A => bA => b

A => bA => bbA => bb

c) a(a υ b υ c)* b(a υ b υ c)*

S -> aAbA
A -> e | aA | bA | cA