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2 - Recursive Definition

The document discusses recursive definitions of formal languages. It provides examples of recursively defining the sets of even numbers, positive integers, polynomials, and arithmetic expressions. A recursive definition involves three steps: 1) specifying base objects, 2) rules for constructing new objects, and 3) declaring that only constructed objects are allowed. For instance, the set of even numbers can be recursively defined with the rules: 1) 2 is even, and 2) if x is even, then x+2 is even.

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Daryl Ivan Hisola
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3K views

2 - Recursive Definition

The document discusses recursive definitions of formal languages. It provides examples of recursively defining the sets of even numbers, positive integers, polynomials, and arithmetic expressions. A recursive definition involves three steps: 1) specifying base objects, 2) rules for constructing new objects, and 3) declaring that only constructed objects are allowed. For instance, the set of even numbers can be recursively defined with the rules: 1) 2 is even, and 2) if x is even, then x+2 is even.

Uploaded by

Daryl Ivan Hisola
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Automata and Language Theory

A New Method for Defining Language


Is characteristically a three step process
We specify some basic objects in the set
We give rules for constructing more objects in
the set from the ones we already know
We declare that no objects except those
constructed in this way are allowed
A New Method for Defining Language
Example
Suppose that we are trying to define the set of
positive even integers for someone who knows
about arithmetic, but has never heard of the
even numbers.

 EVEN is the set of all positive who numbers divisible


by 2
A New Method for Defining Language
 EVEN is the set of all 2n where n = 1 2 3 3…

by recursive definition:


 The set EVEN is defined by these three rules:
Rule 1 2 is EVEN
Rule 2 If x is EVEN, then so is x+2
Rule 3 The only elements in the set EVEN
are those that can be produced
from the two rules above
A New Method for Defining Language
To prove that 14 is even
 By Rule 1, we know that 2 is in EVEN

 Then by Rule 2, we know that 2+2 is also in EVEN

 Again by Rule 2, we know that since 4 has just been

shown to e in EVEN, 4+2=6 is also in EVEN


 The fact that 6 is in EVEN means that when we apply

Rule 2, we deduce that 6+2=8 is in EVEN too


……..
 And, at last, by applying Rule 2, yet again, to the

number 12, we conclude that 12+2=14 is, indeed in


EVEN
A New Method for Defining Language
The set EVEN is defined by these two rules:
Rule 1 2 is in EVEN
Rule 2 If x and y are both in EVEN, then
so is
x+y
A New Method for Defining Language
Prove that 14 is in EVEN in fewer steps:
 By rule 1, 2 is EVEN
 By rule 2, x=2, y=2, x+y=4 is in EVEN
 By rule 2, x=2, y=4, x+y=6 is in EVEN
 By rule 2, x=4, y=4, x+y=8 is in EVEN
 By rule 2, x=6, y=8, x+y=14 is in EVEN
A New Method for Defining Language
Example
 The following is a recursive definition of the positive
integers
Rule 1 1 is in INTEGERS
Rule 2 If x is in INTEGERS, the so is x+1
(not including negatives)
A New Method for Defining Language
Rule 1 1 is in INTEGERS
Rule 2 If both x and y are in INTEGERS,
then so are x+y and x-y

Since 1-1=0 and for all positivex, o-x=-x, we see


that negative integers an zero are all included in this
definition
A New Method for Defining Language
The set POLYNOMIAL is defined by these three
rules
Rule 1 Any number is in POLYNOMIAL.
Rule 2 The variable x is in POLYNOMIAL.
Rule 3 If p and q are POLYNOMIAL,
then so are p+q, p-q, (p), & pq

Try to prove that 3x2+7x-9 is in POLYNOMIAL


A New Method for Defining Language
Observe how natural the following definition are

Rule 1 x is in L1.
Rule 2 If w is any word in L1, then xw is
also in L1
L1=x+={x xx xxx ….}
A New Method for Defining Language
Rule 1 ^ is in L4
Rule 2 if w is any word in L4, then xw is
also in l4
L4=x*
….
A New Method for Defining Language
The definition of Kleene closure might have
benefited from a recursive definition:
Rule 1 If S is a language, then all the
words of S are in S*
Rule 2 ^ is in S*
Rule 3 If x and y are in S*, then so is their
concatenation xy.
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
∑ - {0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + - * / ( )}

What can you say about the following


- (3+5)+6)
- 2(/8+9)
- (3+(4-)8)
- 2)-(4
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
Recursive Definition of AE
Rule 1 Any Number(+,-,0) is in AE
Rule 2 If x is in AE, then so are
(i) (x)
(ii) –x (provided x does not already start with a - sign)
Rule 3 If x and y are in AE, then so are:
(i) x + y (if the first symbol in y is not + or –
(ii) x - y (if the first symbol in y is not + or –
(iii) x*y
(iv) x/y
(v) x**y (our notation for exponentiation)
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
 Try to prove
(2+4) * (7*(9-3)/4) / 4 * (2+8) - 1
is in AE
 Prove that
 An arithmetic expression cannot contain the

character $
 No AE can begin or end with the symbol /.

 No AE can contain the substring //.


Quiz Prove that 78 is in set EVEN using the
following recursive definition:
Rule 1 2 and 4 are in EVEN
Rule 2 If x is in EVEN, then so x+4
Give the recursive definition for the set

POWER-OF-TWO = {1 2 4 8 16……}
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression
An important Language:
Arithmetic Expression

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