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

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on whether a finite automaton B, created by reversing the accepting and non-accepting states of an initial automaton A, accepts the complement language L' of A, defined as L' = (Σ* - L(A)). The consensus is that the statement is not universally true, particularly for non-deterministic automata. A counter-example is provided using a single-state automaton where the language accepted by A is {a}* and the language accepted by B is empty, demonstrating that L' can indeed be empty.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of finite automata, both deterministic and non-deterministic.
  • Familiarity with the concept of language complement in formal language theory.
  • Knowledge of state transitions and acceptance conditions in automata.
  • Basic grasp of formal symbols and notation, such as Σ and L(A).
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  • Study the properties of deterministic and non-deterministic finite automata.
  • Learn about the construction of complement languages for finite automata.
  • Explore examples of finite automata with different state configurations and their accepted languages.
  • Investigate the implications of state transitions on language acceptance in automata theory.
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Students and professionals in computer science, particularly those focusing on automata theory, formal languages, and computational theory. This discussion is beneficial for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of language complements in finite automata.

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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