COSC 3340: Introduction to Theory of

Computation

Rakesh Verma
Computer Science Department
University of Houston
URL: www.cs.uh.edu/~rmverma

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

 What is this course about?

 Course is about models of computation, their

power, and relationships.
 Hierarchy of models of increasing power:
DFA < PDA < TM.
 For each model, we study:
– What can be computed. (easier)
– What cannot be computed. (harder)

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

 Basic Definitions
 (Reading Assignment: Chapter 0 of text)
1. Alphabet - a finite set of symbols.
– Notation:  .
– Examples: Binary alphabet {0,1},
English alphabet {a,...,z,!,?,...}
2. String over an alphabet  - a finite sequence of
symbols from .
– Notation: (a) Letters u, v, w, x, y, and z denote strings.
(b) Convention: concatenate the symbols. No
parentheses or commas used.
– Examples: 0000 is a string over the binary alphabet.
a!? is a string over the English alphabet.

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 Definitions (contd.)

3. Empty string: e or  denotes the empty

sequence of symbols.
4. Language over alphabet  - a set of strings
over .
– Notation: L.
– Examples:
 {0, 00, 000, ...} is an "infinite" language over the binary
alphabet.
 {a, b, c} is a "finite" language over the English alphabet.

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

 Definitions (contd.)

5. Empty language - empty set of strings.

Notation: .
6. Binary operation on strings:
Concatenation of two strings u.v -
concatenate the symbols of u and v.
– Notation: uv
– Examples:
 00.11 = 0011.
 .u = u. = u for every u. (identity for concatenation)

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

 Binary relations on strings

1. Prefix - u is a prefix of v if there is a w such that v

= uw.
– Examples:
  is a prefix of 0 since 0 = 0
 apple is a prefix of appleton since appleton = apple.ton
2. Suffix - u is a suffix of v if there is a w such that
v = wu.
– Examples:
 0 is a suffix of 0 since 0 = ?
 ton is a suffix of appleton since ?

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

 Binary relations (contd.)

3. Substring - u is a substring of v if there are

x and y such that v = xuy.
– Examples:
 let is a substring of appleton since appleton =
app.let.on
 0 is a substring of 0 since 0 = epsilon.0.epsilon

Observe that prefix and suffix are special cases

of substring.

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

Relevance of strings and languages for
this course.

 Consider decision problems. Decision problems

are problems with Yes/No answers.
 Examples: (a) Is an array sorted?
(b) Is x in that array A?
 Consider instances, I, of a decision problem D.
 Example: For problem (a) an instance is just an
array.

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 Relevance (contd.)

 We can encode instances of any problem by

strings.
 Associate language with decision problem D
by taking all the strings that encode its yes
instances.

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

Applications of the Concepts

 Are vast, and include:

– Text processing (editors, etc.)
– Compiler design
– Verification through model checking
 Real world examples are all around you and
not just on the desk!

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

New Developments

 DNA Computing
 Quantum Turing Machines
 New Applications are being discovered as we
speak!

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma

History of the Field
Check out:
URL:http://
www.cs.aue.auc.dk/
~hicks/courses/
computability-f2003/
class-1.pdf

UofH - COSC 3340 - Dr. Verma