Pushdown Automata

Automata for Context-Free Languages

Language class Syntax/Grammar Automata
Regular regular expressions, DFA, NFA, NFAλ
regular grammar
Context-free context-free grammar ?

• DFA, NFA, NFAλ: finite states = finite memory, e.g.

– even or odd number of a’s read: two states even, odd
– the last 2 letters read: four states for aa, ab, ba, bb.
• Problem: languages like {anb n | n ≥ 0} need unbounded memory. A DFA with k
states can only “count to k”.
• Solution: extend FSA by adding memory
• Automata for Context-Free Languages

• Various simple memory models are possible:

• Queue: First in, first out (like waiting in line)

• Stack: Last in, first out (like a laundry basket)
Stack Memory
A stack can be described as a word over the stack alphabet Γ:

• Empty stack is λ.

• push(X, YZZY ) = XYZZY , push a new element on top (note top=left).

• pop(YZZY ) = ZZY , remove the top element.

• top(YZZY ) = Y , look at the top element.

Note: the empty stack has no top.

 In PDA the stack holds a special symbol Z0 that indicates the bottom of the stack.
Pushdown Automaton
Formally, a pushdown automaton is a nondeterministic machine defined
by the 7-tuple (Q, Σ, Γ, δ, q0, Z0, F), where
,Q is a finite set of states -
- Σ is an input alphabet ,
- Γ is the stack alphabet of symbols that can be pushed on the stack,
δ : Q × Σε × Γε → P(Q × Γ*) is the transition function, where no tuple is -
,mapped to an infinite set
- q0 ∈ Q is the start state,
- Z0 ∈ Γ is the stack start symbol, and
- F ⊆ Q is the set of accepting states.
NOTES
● The automaton accepts if it ends in an accepting state with no
input remaining.
● The language of a PDA is the set of strings that the PDA accepts:
L(P) = { w ∈ Σ* | P accepts w }
● If P is a PDA where L(P) = L, we say that P recognizes L.
Input symbol Top of stack Stack operations
Push or Pop

(a , Z0 ̸ a Z0 )