Does B accepts the language L',no matter which is the initial automaton A?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a finite automaton $B$, created by reversing the accepting and non-accepting states of another finite automaton $A$, accepts the complement language $L' = (\Sigma^{*} - L(A))$ for any initial automaton $A$. The scope includes theoretical aspects of automata and language recognition.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question if automaton $B$ accepts the complement language $L'$ regardless of the initial automaton $A$.
  • One participant suggests considering the simplest non-empty language and its complement to explore the validity of the claim.
  • Another participant describes a single-state automaton that accepts the language $\{a\}^*$, indicating that the corresponding automaton with the state as non-accepting accepts an empty language.
  • It is noted that if the alphabet consists of a single symbol, the complement language may not be non-empty, which challenges the original claim.
  • One participant asserts that the statement in post #1 is true for deterministic automata, emphasizing the need for outgoing transitions for each input symbol from every state.
  • Another participant concludes that the statement in post #1 is not universally true, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between deterministic and non-deterministic automata.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the validity of the claim regarding automaton $B$ accepting the complement language $L'$. While some argue it holds for deterministic automata, others contend that it does not apply universally, particularly in non-deterministic cases.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved distinctions between deterministic and non-deterministic automata, and the implications of using a single-state automaton with a limited alphabet are not fully explored.

evinda
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Hello! :)
I have a question..
Suppose that we have a finite automaton $A$(deterministic or not) and $L(A)$ the language that it accepts.It interest us to recognize the complement language $L'=(\Sigma^{*}-L(A))$.So,we reverse the states of A as followed:we make the accepting state non-accepting and the non-accepting,accepting,defining in that way a new automaton $B$.Does $B$ accepts the language $L'$,no matter which is the initial automaton $A$?If yes,prove it,else give a counter-example.
 
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evinda said:
Hello! :)
I have a question..
Suppose that we have a finite automaton $A$(deterministic or not) and $L(A)$ the language that it accepts.It interest us to recognize the complement language $L'=(\Sigma^{*}-L(A))$.So,we reverse the states of A as followed:we make the accepting state non-accepting and the non-accepting,accepting,defining in that way a new automaton $B$.Does $B$ accepts the language $L'$,no matter which is the initial automaton $A$?If yes,prove it,else give a counter-example.

Hey! :o

What is the simplest language you can think of that is not empty?

Then, what is the simplest complement language that you can think of, which is also not empty?

Does it fit?
 
I like Serena said:
Hey! :o

What is the simplest language you can think of that is not empty?

Then, what is the simplest complement language that you can think of, which is also not empty?

Does it fit?

I don't really know..Could you give me a hint? :o
 
evinda said:
I don't really know..Could you give me a hint? :o

Hmm, the simplest language defined by a finite automaton that is not empty...

... we need at least 1 input symbol, say $a$.
And we also need at least 1 state, say $S$.
And an initial state, which should be $S$ as well.
And at least 1 final state, which can be $S$ as well.
And at least 1 transition: say reading $a$ and making a transition from $S$ to $S$.

Which language does that generate?
 
I like Serena said:
... we need at least 1 input symbol, say $a$.
And we also need at least 1 state, say $S$.
And an initial state, which should be $S$ as well.
And at least 1 final state, which can be $S$ as well.
And at least 1 transition: say reading $a$ and making a transition from $S$ to $S$.
And what is the point? The statement in post #1 is true for this automaton.
 
Evgeny.Makarov said:
And what is the point? The statement in post #1 is true for this automaton.

Oh?
 
I like Serena said:
... we need at least 1 input symbol, say $a$.
If the alphabet $\Sigma$ consists of $a$ only, then the language accepted by this automaton is the whole $\Sigma^*$. The accepted language of the automaton where this only state is not accepting is empty, as expected.
 
Evgeny.Makarov said:
If the alphabet $\Sigma$ consists of $a$ only, then the language accepted by this automaton is the whole $\Sigma^*$. The accepted language of the automaton where this only state is not accepting is empty, as expected.

That would not be consistent with the other conditions I set.
 
Could you say plainly what I am missing? I claim that if the single-state automaton you described is called $A$ and the corresponding automaton where the state is not accepting is called $A'$, then the language accepted by $A$ is $\{a\}^*$ and the language accepted by $A'$ is empty.
 
  • #10
Evgeny.Makarov said:
Could you say plainly what I am missing? I claim that if the single-state automaton you described is called $A$ and the corresponding automaton where the state is not accepting is called $A'$, then the language accepted by $A$ is $\{a\}^*$ and the language accepted by $A'$ is empty.

Pick $\Sigma = \{a,b\}$.
That way $L'$ is not empty.
 
  • #11
I like Serena said:
Pick $\Sigma = \{a,b\}$.
That way $L'$ is not empty.
Ah, OK, so the statement in post #1 is true for deterministic automata. In particular, from each state there should be an outgoing arrow for each input symbol.
 
  • #12
Evgeny.Makarov said:
Ah, OK, so the statement in post #1 is true for deterministic automata. In particular, from each state there should be an outgoing arrow for each input symbol.

... being explicit, the answer to the question in post #1 is no, the statement is not true.
Such a fine distinction.
 

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