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Approved by AICTE, COA and BCI, New Delhi

Lecture 26.2
Simplification of CFG : Removal of ԑ production

S c h o o l o f C o m p u t i n g a n d I n f o r m a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y

Chaithra M H

AY:2020-2021
OUTLINE

Recap of Previous Lecture

Topic of the Lecture

Objective and Outcome of Lecture

Lecture Discussion
• Definition of ԑ production
• Eliminating ԑ-productions examples
• Definition of unit production
• Eliminating of unit-productions examples
• Summary
Simplification of CFG : Removal of ԑ
production
Recap of Previous Lecture
• Substitution with
examples
• Definition of Left
recursion with
ԑ production
examples CFG : Removal of
Simplification of
• Definition of Useless
Course Description
productions with
examples
• Summary
• Quiz RECAP OF PREVIOUS LECTURE
Simplification of CFG : Removal of ԑ
production
To p i c o f t h e L e c t u r e
• Definition of ԑ
production
• Eliminating ԑ-
productions examples ԑ production
CFG : Removal of
• Definition of unit Simplification of
production
• Eliminating of unit-
productions examples
• Summary
TOPIC OF THE LECTURE
 Simplification of CFG : Removal of ԑ production
Introduction of ԑ-production
INTRODUCTION OF ԑ [EPSILON]

A production of the A Ԑ is undesirable in a CGF, unless an empty string is derived

from the start symbol.

The language generated from a grammar G does not derive any empty string and
grammar consists of Ԑ - productions. Such Ԑ - productions can be removed.

An Ԑ - production definition is seen in next slide

Simplification of CFG : Removal of ԑ
production
Definition of ԑ-production
DEFINITION OF Ԑ - PRODUCTION

Let G = ( V, T, P, S ) be a CFG. A production in P of the form A  Ԑ is called

Ԑ-production or NULL production. After applying the production the
variable A is erased.

For each A in V, if there is a derivation of the form A ⇒*Ԑ then A is a null

variable.
Simplification of CFG : Removal of ԑ
production
Problems on eliminating ԑ-production
PROBLEMS ON ELIMINATING Ԑ-PRODUCTIONS
Example-1
Eliminate all Ԑ- productions from the grammar:
SABCa|bD
ABC|b
Bb|Ԑ
Cc|Ԑ
Dd

Solution Old variable [ O V ] New variable [ N V ] Productions

Ф B,C Bԑ
Cԑ
Step-1
B,C B,C,A ABC
B,C,A B,C,A --

V = { B, C, A } are all nullable variables

PROBLEMS ON Ԑ-PRODUCTIONS
Example-1 contd…
Constructions of productions P‘ . Add a non ԑ-production in P to P‘. Take all combinations
Step-2
of nullable variables in a production, delete subset of nullable variables one by one and
add the resulting productions to P‘.
Productions Resulting productions [P‘] The grammar G’ = (V’ , T’ , P’ , S) where

S A B C a S A B C a | B C a | A C a | A B a | C a V’ = { S, A, B, C, D}
T’ = { a, b, c, d }
|Aa|Ba|a
P’ = {
SABCa|BCa|ACa|ABa|
SbD SbD
Ca|Aa|Ba|a|bD
ABC|b ABC|B|C|b ABC|B|C|b
Bb
Bb|ԑ Bb Cc
Dd
Cc|ԑ Cc }
S = start symbol
Dd|ԑ Dd
PROBLEMS ON Ԑ-PRODUCTIONS
Example-2
Eliminate all Ԑ- productions from the grammar:
SBAAB
A0A2|2A0|Ԑ
BAB|1B|Ԑ

Solution Old variable [ O V ] New variable [ N V ] Productions

Step-1 Ф A, B Aԑ
Bԑ
A, B A, B , S SBAAB
A, B , S A, B , S --

V = { S, A, B } are all nullable variables

Step-2 Constructions of productions P‘ . Add a non ԑ-production in P to P‘. Take all combinations
of nullable variables in a production, delete subset of nullable variables one by one and
add the resulting productions to P‘.
Productions Resulting productions [P‘] The grammar G’ = (V’ , T’ , P’ , S) where

SBAAB SBAAB|AAB|BAB|BAA|AB V’ = { S, A, B }
|BB|BA|AA|A|B T’ = { 0, 1, 2 }
P’ = {
A0A2 A0A2|02 SBAAB|AAB|BAB|BA
A|AB|BB|BA|AA|A|B
A2A0 A2A0|20 A0A2|02|2A0|20
BAB|B|A|1B|1
BAB BAB|B|A }
S = start symbol
B1B B1B|1
 Eliminating ԑ- Definition of ԑ-
productions examples production
SUMMARY OF THE LECTURE
DISCUSSION
5 MINUTES
 //
RESOURCES AND TASK
• https:
als/
Optional and non-optional reading resources of the Lecture
tutori
mata-
Optional Resources auto
n-
Web
utatio
comp
resources y-of-
theor
g/
Non-Optional Resources eks.or
forge
John E Hopcroft, Rajeev Motwani, Jeffrey D. Ullman, Introduction to
geeks
Automata Theory, Languages and Computation, 3rd Edition, Pearson
www.
Education, 2009. //
• https:
Peter Linz, An Introduction to formal Languages and Automata, 4/ E, Jones
htm
and Bartlett Publishers, 2006. index.
res/
Lectu
 www.tu
• https://
SUMMARY OF THE LECTURE s/
Reading resources for the next lecture
tutorial
a-
automat
ation-
comput
Web of-
resources theory-
/
eeks.org
eksforg
John E Hopcroft, Rajeev Motwani, Jeffrey D. Ullman, Introduction to
www.ge
Automata Theory, Languages and Computation, 3rd Edition, Pearson
• https://
Education, 2009. m
index.ht
s/
Peter Linz, An Introduction to formal Languages and Automata, 4/ E, Jones
Lecture
and Bartlett Publishers, 2006. /
CptS317
h/
~anant
QUIZ TIME
10 MINUTES

“All of you have to give quiz where there

will be 8 questions covering part1 and
part 2 of lecture. It is compulsory as it is
used for assessment and attendance”
QUIZ
Questions from Lecture 26.1 & 26.2

1. Which of the following grammar rules violate the requirements of an operator

grammar ? P, Q, R are nonterminals, and r, s, t are terminals.
A) P → Q R B) P → Q s R

C) P → ε D) P → Q t R r

2. Suppose A->xBz and B->y, then the simplified grammar would

be:
A) A->xyz B) A->xBz|xyz

C) A->xBz|B|y D) none of the mentioned

QUIZ
Questions from Lecture 26.1 & 26.2

3. Given Grammar: S->A, A->aA, A->e, B->bA

Which among the following productions are Useless productions?

A) S->A B) A->e

C) A->aA D) B->bA

4. The variable which produces an epsilon is called:

A) empty variable B) nullable

C) terminal D) None of the Mentioned

QUIZ
Questions from Lecture 26.1 & 26.2
5. Statement:
For A-> e ,A can be erased. So whenever it appears on the left side of a production,
replace with another production without the A.
State true or false:
A) true B) false

6. Given:
S->…->xAy->…->w
if ____________, then A is useful, else useless symbol.

A) A is a non terminal B) A is a terminal

C) w Î L D) w Ë L
Thank you