Regular Expressions Help: Find Language for DFA Drawing

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the languages represented by specific regular expressions in order to draw corresponding Deterministic Finite Automata (DFAs). Participants explore the interpretation of the expressions and the implications for DFA construction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express uncertainty about how to derive the language from the given regular expressions.
  • One participant notes that finding the language is not straightforward, especially if the language is infinite, and emphasizes the need for a finite description.
  • There is a discussion about the notation used in regular expressions, particularly the meaning of commas, curly braces, and parentheses.
  • Participants question whether the automaton must read all elements in a set or just one, particularly regarding the expression {00,010,∅}.
  • One participant suggests that the commas in the curly braces may denote alternation, while others seek clarification on the implications of this notation for DFA design.
  • Concerns are raised about the presence of ε transitions in DFAs, with a suggestion to consider alternative deterministic transitions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of interpreting regular expressions and constructing DFAs, but multiple competing views remain regarding the notation and the implications for automaton design. The discussion is unresolved regarding the best approach to represent the languages and the corresponding DFAs.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential misunderstandings of notation, the ambiguity in the interpretation of the expressions, and the lack of consensus on how to handle infinite languages.

evinda
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Hello!
I have to draw the DFA of the language of the following expressions:
a){1^*\{00,010,\varnothing\}(01)^{*}}
b)(\{\{1,0\}^{*},(\varnothing,2)^*\})^{*}

Could you help me to find the languages that are meant,so I can draw the DFAs?
 
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evinda said:
Hello!
I have to draw the DFA of the language of the following expressions:
a){1^*\{00,010,\varnothing\}(01)^{*}}
b)(\{\{1,0\}^{*},(\varnothing,2)^*\})^{*}

Could you help me to find the languages that are meant,so I can draw the DFAs?

Hi evinda! :)

Effort?
What do you already know about DFA's and what they look like?
 
I like Serena said:
Hi evinda! :)

Effort?
What do you already know about DFA's and what they look like?

I know how to draw DFAs when I have a language,but I don't know how to find the language that is represented from the expressions above. :confused:

For example,if I had to draw the DFA,that accepts the language that contains the substring 001,I would do it like that: View attachment 1765
 

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How can I find,in general,the language of a regular expression?? :confused:
 
evinda said:
How can I find,in general,the language of a regular expression??
This is just a remark (and a way to subscribe to the thread). There is no such thing as "finding the language" unless the language is finite. If the language is infinite, you cannot communicate or learn it as a set of words. Instead, you have to communicate some finite description of the language. Now, there is no canonical representation of a regular language. It can be described by a finite automaton, a regular expression, or a formula in first-order logic, and none of these is a priori better than the rest. For example, as you get familiar with regular expressions, they may become your preferred representation of regular languages.
 
Evgeny.Makarov said:
This is just a remark (and a way to subscribe to the thread). There is no such thing as "finding the language" unless the language is finite. If the language is infinite, you cannot communicate or learn it as a set of words. Instead, you have to communicate some finite description of the language. Now, there is no canonical representation of a regular language. It can be described by a finite automaton, a regular expression, or a formula in first-order logic, and none of these is a priori better than the rest. For example, as you get familiar with regular expressions, they may become your preferred representation of regular languages.

I understood...I tried to draw the finite automaton of the regular expression {1^*\{00,010,\varnothing\}(01)^{*}} and that's what I did.Is this right? :)
View attachment 1767
 

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Last edited:
Or am I wrong?If we have this: \{00,010,\varnothing\},do the automaton has to read all of these: 00,010,\varnothing\ or just one of them?
 
evinda said:
I tried to draw the finite automaton of the regular expression {1^*\{00,010,\varnothing\}(01)^{*}} and that's what I did.Is this right?
Notations for regular expressions differ. Does comma denote alternation? Is there a difference between curly braces and parentheses? Why is the complete expression surrounded by curly braces?
 
Evgeny.Makarov said:
Notations for regular expressions differ. Does comma denote alternation? Is there a difference between curly braces and parentheses? Why is the complete expression surrounded by curly braces?

Oh sorry, the complete expression is not surrounded by curly braces. It is: 1^*\{00,010,\varnothing\}(01)^{*}.

With the parentheses I think that it is meant that $0$ is followed by $1$ and this sequence appears $n$ times with $n \geq 0$.

And in the curly braces the comma may denote the alternation.
 
  • #10
evinda said:
Oh sorry, the complete expression is not surrounded by curly braces. It is: 1^*\{00,010,\varnothing\}(01)^{*}.

With the parentheses I think that it is meant that $0$ is followed by $1$ and this sequence appears $n$ times with $n \geq 0$.

And in the curly braces the comma may denote the alternation.

Looks like your off in the right direction! :D

Except... that with the commas between {} that mean alternation, your graph should be slightly different...
 
  • #11

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  • #12
Looking good! ;)

One problem left. There is no such thing as an $\varepsilon$ transition.
It would be "no-input", which would not be deterministic.

Can you think of another (deterministic) transition that accepts either a '0' or a '1' that will show the same behavior?
And/or perhaps no transition at all, but marking the state as a final state?
 
  • #13
Here is my version.

automaton4.png


Missing arrows lead to sink.

Edit: Made the initial state to be also accepting in order to accept 1*. Still no warranty. :)
 
Last edited:
  • #14
Thank you very much! :rolleyes:
 

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