The Post Correspondence
Problem
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 1
Some undecidable problems for
context-free languages:
• Is L(G1 ) L(G2 ) ?
G1,G2 are context-free grammars
• Is context-free grammar G ambiguous?
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 2
We need a tool to prove that the previous
problems for context-free languages
are undecidable:
The Post Correspondence Problem
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 3
The Post Correspondence Problem
Input: Two sequences of n strings
A w1, w2 , , wn
B v1, v2 , , vn
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 4
There is a Post Correspondence Solution
if there is a sequence i, j , , k such that:
PC-solution: wi w j wk vi v j vk
Indeces may be repeated or ommited
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 5
Example: w1 w2 w3
A: 100 11 111
v1 v2 v3
B: 001 111 11
PC-solution: 2,1,3 w2 w1w3 v2v1v3
11100111
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 6
Example: w1 w2 w3
A: 00 001 1000
v1 v2 v3
B: 0 11 011
There is no solution
Because total length of strings from B
is smaller than total length of strings from A
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 7
The Modified Post Correspondence Problem
Inputs: A w1, w2 , , wn
B v1, v2 , , vn
MPC-solution: 1, i, j , , k
w1wi w j wk v1vi v j vk
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 8
Example: w1 w2 w3
A: 11 111 100
v1 v2 v3
B: 111 11 001
MPC-solution: 1,3,2 w1w3w2 v1v3v2
11100111
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 9
We will show:
1. The MPC problem is undecidable
(by reducing the membership to MPC)
2. The PC problem is undecidable
(by reducing MPC to PC)
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 10
Theorem: The MPC problem is undecidable
Proof: We will reduce the membership
problem to the MPC problem
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 11
Membership problem
Input: recursive language L
string w
Question: w L ?
Undecidable
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 12
Membership problem
Input: unrestricted grammar G
string w
Question: w L(G ) ?
Undecidable
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 13
Suppose we have a decider for
the MPC problem
String Sequences MPC solution?
A YES
MPC problem
decider
B NO
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 14
We will build a decider for
the membership problem
w L(G ) ?
G Membership
YES
problem
w decider NO
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 15
The reduction of the membership problem
to the MPC problem:
Membership problem decider
A yes yes
G MPC problem
B decider no no
w
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 16
We need to convert the input instance of
one problem to the other
Membership problem decider
A yes yes
G convert MPC problem
inputs decider no no
w B
?
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 17
A B Grammar G
FS F S : start variable
F : special symbol
a a For every symbol a
V V For every variable V
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 18
A B Grammar G
E wE string w
E : special symbol
y x For every production
x y
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 19
Example:
Grammar G : S aABb | Bbb
Bb C
AC aac
String w aaac
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 20
A B
w1 : FS v1 : F
w2 : a v2 : a
w3 : b v3 : b
c c
A A
B B
C C
w8 : S v8 : S
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 21
A B
w9 : E v9 : aaacE
aABb S
Bbb S
C Bb
aac AC
w14 : v14 :
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 22
Grammar G : S aABb | Bbb
Bb C
AC aac
aaac L(G ) : S aABb aAC aaac
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 23
S aABb | Bbb
Derivation: S Bb C
AC aac
A: w1
F S
B: v1
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 24
S aABb | Bbb
Derivation:
Bb C
S aABb
AC aac
A: w1 w10
F S a A B b
B: v1 v10
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 25
S aABb | Bbb
Derivation:
Bb C
S aABb aAC
AC aac
A: w1 w10 w14 w2 w5 w12
F S a A B ba A C
B : v1 v10 v14 v2 v5 v12
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 26
S aABb | Bbb
Derivation:
Bb C
S aABb aAC aaac AC aac
A: w1 w10 w14 w2 w5 w12w14 w2 w13
F S a A B ba A C a a a c E
B :v1 v10 v14 v2 v5 v12 v14 v2 v13
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 27
S aABb | Bbb
Derivation:
Bb C
S aABb aAC aaac
AC aac
A: w1 w10 w14 w2 w5 w12w14 w2 w13 w9
F S a A B ba A C a a a c E
B :v1 v10 v14 v2 v5 v12 v14 v2 v13 v9
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 28
( A, B ) has an MPC-solution
if and
only if
w L(G )
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 29
Membership problem decider
A yes yes
G Construct MPC problem
A, B B decider no no
w
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 30
Since the membership problem is undecidable,
The MPC problem is uncedecidable
END OF PROOF
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 31
Theorem: The PC problem is undecidable
Proof: We will reduce the MPC problem
to the PC problem
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 32
Suppose we have a decider for
the PC problem
String Sequences PC solution?
C YES
PC problem
decider
D NO
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 33
We will build a decider for
the MPC problem
String Sequences MPC solution?
A YES
MPC problem
decider
B NO
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 34
The reduction of the MPC problem
to the PC problem:
MPC problem decider
C yes yes
A PC problem
D decider no no
B
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 35
We need to convert the input instance of
one problem to the other
MPC problem decider
C yes yes
A convert PC problem
inputs D decider no no
B
?
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 36
A, B : input to the MPC problem
A w1, w2 , , wn
B v1, v2 , , vn
Translated
to
C , D : input to the PC problem
C w0 , w1 , , wn , wn 1
D v0 , v1 , , vn , vn 1
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 37
A C
wi 1 2 k wi 1 * 2 * k *
For each i replace w 1 * w 1
wn1
D
B
vi 1 2 k vi * 1 * 2 * * k
For each i vn1 *
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 38
PC-solution
C D
w 1wi w kwn1 v1v iw kvn1
Has to start with
These strings
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 39
C PC-solution D
w 1wi w kwn1 v1v i w kvn1
A B
w 1wi w k v1vi v k
MPC-solution
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 40
C, D has a PC solution
if and
only if
A, B has an MPC solution
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 41
MPC problem decider
C yes yes
A Construct PC problem
C, D D decider no no
B
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 42
Since the MPC problem is undecidable,
The PC problem is undecidable
END OF PROOF
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 43
Some undecidable problems for
context-free languages:
• Is L(G1 ) L(G2 ) ?
G1,G2 are context-free grammars
• Is context-free grammar G
ambiguous?
We reduce the PC problem to these problems
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 44
Theorem: Let G1,G2 be context-free
grammars. It is undecidable
to determine if L(G1 ) L(G2 )
Proof: Reduce the PC problem to this
problem
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 45
Suppose we have a decider for the
empty-intersection problem
Context-free L(G1 ) L(G2 ) ?
grammars
G1 Empty- YES
interection
problem
G2 NO
decider
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 46
We will build a decider for
the PC problem
String Sequences PC solution?
A YES
PC problem
decider
B NO
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 47
The reduction of the PC problem
to the empty-intersection problem:
PC problem decider
G A Empty- no yes
A
interection
GB problem
B yes no
decider
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 48
We need to convert the input instance of
one problem to the other
PC problem decider
G A Empty- no yes
A convert
inputs interection
GB problem
B ? yes no
decider
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 49
Introduce new unique symbols: a1, a2 , , an
A w1, w2 , , wn
LA {s : s wi w j wk ak a j ai }
Context-free grammar G A : S A wi S Aai | wi ai
B v1, v2 , , vn
LB {s : s vi v j vk ak a j ai }
Context-free grammar GB : S B vi S B ai | vi ai
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 50
( A, B ) has a PC solution
if and
only if
L(G A ) L(GB )
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 51
L(G1 ) L(G2 )
s wi w j wk ak a j ai
s vi v j vk ak a j ai
Because a1, a2 , , an are unique
There is a PC solution:
s wi w j wk ak a j ai
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 52
PC problem decider
G A Empty- no yes
A Construct
Context-Free interection
GB problem
B Grammars yes no
decider
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 53
Since PC is undecidable,
the empty-intersection problem is undecidable
END OF PROOF
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 54
Theorem: For a context-free grammar G,
it is undecidable to determine
if G is ambiguous
Proof: Reduce the PC problem
to this problem
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 55
PC problem decider
Ambiguous- no yes
A Construct
Context-Free
G grammar
Grammar problem
B yes no
decider
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 56
SA start variable of G A
SB start variable of GB
S start variable of G
S S A | SB
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 57
( A, B ) has a PC solution
if and
only if
L(G A ) L(GB )
if and
only if
G is ambiguous
Fall 2003 Costas Busch - RPI 58
