Non-Deterministic
Finite Automata
1
Nondeterministic Finite Automaton (NFA)
Alphabet = {a}
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
2
Alphabet = {a}
Two choices q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
3
Alphabet = {a}
Two choices q1 a q2 No transition
a
q0
a
q3 No transition
4
First Choice
a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
5
First Choice
a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
6
First Choice
a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
7
First Choice
a a
All input is consumed
q1 a q2 “accept”
a
q0
a
q3
8
Second Choice
a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
9
Second Choice
a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
10
Second Choice
a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
No transition:
q3
the automaton hangs
11
Second Choice
a a
Input cannot be consumed
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”
12
An NFA accepts a string:
when there is a computation of the NFA
that accepts the string
There is a computation:
all the input is consumed and the automaton
is in an accepting state
13
Example
aa is accepted by the NFA:
“accept”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0
a
q0
a
q3 q3 “reject”
because this
computation
accepts aa 14
Rejection example
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
15
First Choice
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
16
First Choice
a
“reject”
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
17
Second Choice
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
18
Second Choice
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
19
Second Choice
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”
20
An NFA rejects a string:
when there is no computation of the NFA
that accepts the string.
For each computation:
• All the input is consumed and the
automaton is in a non final state
OR
• The input cannot be consumed
21
Example
a is rejected by the NFA:
“reject”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0 q0
a a
q3
“reject” q3
All possible computations lead to rejection
22
Rejection example
a a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
23
First Choice
a a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
24
First Choice
a a a
q1 a q2
a
q0 No transition:
a
the automaton hangs
q3
25
First Choice
a a a
Input cannot be consumed
q1 a q2 “reject”
a
q0
a
q3
26
Second Choice
a a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
27
Second Choice
a a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
28
Second Choice
a a a
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
No transition:
q3
the automaton hangs
29
Second Choice
a a a
Input cannot be consumed
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3 “reject”
30
aaa is rejected by the NFA:
“reject”
q1 a q2 q1 a q2
a a
q0
a
q0
a
q3 q3 “reject”
All possible computations lead to rejection
31
Language accepted: L {aa}
q1 a q2
a
q0
a
q3
32
Lambda Transitions
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
33
a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
34
a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
35
(read head does not move)
a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
36
a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
37
all input is consumed
a a
“accept”
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
String aa is accepted
38
Rejection Example
a a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
39
a a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
40
(read head doesn’t move)
a a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
41
a a a
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
No transition:
the automaton hangs
42
Input cannot be consumed
a a a
“reject”
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
String aaa is rejected
43
Language accepted: L {aa}
q0 a q1 q2 a q3
44
Another NFA Example
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
45
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
46
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
47
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
48
a b
“accept”
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
49
Another String
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
50
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
51
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
52
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
53
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
54
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
55
a b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
56
a b a b
“accept”
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
57
Language accepted
L ab, abab, ababab, ...
ab
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
58
Another NFA Example
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q2
1
59
Language accepted
L(M ) = { λ, 10, 1010, 101010, ...}
= { 10} *
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q2
1 (redundant
state)
60
Remarks:
•The symbol never appears on the
input tape
•Simple automata:
M1 M2
q0 q0
L(M1 ) = {} L(M 2 ) = {λ}
61
•NFAs are interesting because we can
express languages easier than FAs
NFA M1 FA M2 a
q2
q0 a q1
a
q0 a q1
L( M1 ) = {a} L( M 2 ) = {a}
62
Formal Definition of NFAs
M Q, , , q0 , F
Q : Set of states, i.e. q0 , q1, q2
: Input aplhabet, i.e. a, b
: Transition function
q0 : Initial state
F : Accepting states
63
Transition Function
q0 , 1 q1
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1
64
(q1,0) {q0 , q2}
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1
65
(q0 , ) {q0 , q2}
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1
66
(q2 ,1)
0
q0 q1 0, 1 q
2
1
67
Extended Transition Function *
* q0 , a q1
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
68
* q0 , aa q4 , q5
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
69
* q0 , ab q2 , q3 , q0
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
70
Formally
q j * qi , w : there is a walk from qi to q j
with label w
qi w qj
w 1 2 k
1 2 k
qi qj
71
The Language of an NFA M
F q0 ,q5
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
* q0 , aa q4 , q5 aa L(M )
F
72
F q0 ,q5
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
* q0 , ab q2 , q3 , q0 ab L M
F
73
F q0 ,q5
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
* q0 , abaa q4 , q5 aaba L(M )
F
74
F q0 ,q5
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
* q0 , aba q1 aba L M
F
75
q4 q5
a a
q0 a q1 b q2 q3
L M ab * {aa}
76
Formally
The language accepted by NFA M is:
L M w1, w2 , w3 ,...
where * (q0 , wm ) {qi , q j ,..., qk ,}
and there is some qk F (accepting state)
77
w L M * (q0 , w)
qi
w
q0
qk qk F
w
w qj
78
