CSE322

Regular Expressions and

their Identities
Lecture #6
Regular Expressions
We give a formal recursive definition of regular expressions over ∑
as follows:
1. Any terminal symbol (i.e. an element of ∑), Λ and ∅ are regular
expressions. When we view a in ∑ as a regular expression, we
denote it by a.
2. The union of two regular expressions R1and R2 , written as R 1 +
R2, is also a regular expression.
3. The concatenation of two regular expressions R1and R2, written as
R1 R2, is also a regular expression.
4. The iteration (or closure) of a regular expression R written as R*, is
also a regular expression.
5.If R is a regular expression, then (R) is also a regular expression.
6. The regular expressions over∑ are precisely those obtained
recursively by the application of the rules 1-5 once or several times
Definitions
Any set represented by a regular expression is
called a regular set.
If for example, a, b ε ∑. Then
(i) a denotes the set {a},

(ii) a + b denotes {a, b},

(iii) ab denotes {ab},

(iv) a* denotes the set {lambda, a, aa. aaa, ... } and

(v) (a + b)* denotes {a, b}*. The set represented by R is denoted by L(R),
Questions

Describe the following sets by regular expressions:

(a) {101}
(b) {abba}
(c) {01,10}
(d) {Λ ,ab}
(e) {abb,a, b, bba}
(f){Λ , 0, 00, 000.... }
(g) {1, 11, 111 ... }
Solution
(a) Now. {1}. {O} are represented by 1 and O. respectively. 101 is obtained
by concatenating 1,0 and 1 So. {10 I} is represented by 101.

(b) abba represents {abba}.

(c) As {01, 10} is the union of {01} and {10}, we have {01, 10}
represented by 01 + 10

(d) The set {Λ , ab} is represented by Λ + ab

(e) The set {abb, a, b, bba} is represented by abb + a + b + bba.

f) As {Λ , 0, 00, 000, ... } is simply {O}*. it is represented by 0*

(g) Any element in {1, 11, 111, ... } can be obtained by concatenating
1 and any element of {1}*. Hence 1(1)* represents {1, 11, 111, ... }
Problem
Solution
Solution
(a) Now. {1}. {O} are represented by 1 and O. respectively. 101 is obtained
by concatenating 1,0 and 1 So. {10 I} is represented by 101.

(b) abba represents {abba}.

(c) As {01, 10} is the union of {01} and {10}, we have {01, 10}
represented by 01 + 10

(d) The set {Λ , ab} is represented by Λ + ab

(e) The set {abb, a, b, bba} is represented by abb + a + b + bba.

f) As {Λ , 0, 00, 000, ... } is simply {O}*. it is represented by 0*

(g) Any element in {1, 11, 111, ... } can be obtained by concatenating
1 and any element of {1}*. Hence 1(1)* represents {1, 11, 111, ... }
IDENTITIES FOR REGULAR
EXPRESSIONS
THEORM

Theorem :
(Arden' s theorem) Let P and Q be two regular expressions
over ∑. If P does not contain Λ, then the following equation in
R, namely
R = Q + RP
has a unique solution (i.e. one and only one solution) given
by R = QP*.
THEORM

Proof
Q + (QP*)P = Q(Λ+ P*P) = QP* by I9
Important justification
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
PROBLEM & SOLUTION
Difference between Null and Ø
TRANSITION SYSTEM CONTAINING Λ -MOVES

Suppose we want to replace a Λ -move from vertex V1 to vertex V2' Then

we proceed as follows:

Step 1- Find all the edges starting from V2.

Step 2- Duplicate all these edges starting from V1' without changing the edge
labels.

Step 3- If V1 is an initial state, make V2 also as initial state.

Step 4- If V2 is a final state. make V1 also as the final state.

EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
Construct RE from given FA
Convert this automata with null
moves to automata without it
Construct RE from Finite Automata
 answer
• (a + a(b + aa)*b)*a(b + aa)*a
Construct RE from given DFA
 Answer
• (ab + ba)*
Construct RE from given DFA, take
q1 as initial state
 Answer
• 0*(1*)
Construct RE from given DFA
 Answer
• (0 + 1(1 + 01)* 00)*
 Construct RE from given DFA

• Q1 as initial state
• (0 + 1(1 + 011)*(00 + 010)*(1(1 + 011)* 01)
 Closure properties of regular sets
• Property 1. The union of two regular set is regular.
• Proof −
• Let us take two regular expressions
• RE1 = a(aa)* and RE2 = (aa)*
• So, L1 = {a, aaa, aaaaa,.....} (Strings of odd length excluding Null)
• and L2 ={ ε, aa, aaaa, aaaaaa,.......} (Strings of even length including
Null)
• L1 ∪ L2 = { ε, a, aa, aaa, aaaa, aaaaa, aaaaaa,.......}
• (Strings of all possible lengths including Null)
• RE (L1 ∪ L2) = a* (which is a regular expression itself)
• Hence, proved.
 Closure properties of regular sets
• Property 2. The intersection of two regular set is regular.
• Proof −
• Let us take two regular expressions
• RE1 = a(a*) and RE2 = (aa)*
• So, L1 = { a,aa, aaa, aaaa, ....} (Strings of all possible lengths excluding
Null)
• L2 = { ε, aa, aaaa, aaaaaa,.......} (Strings of even length including Null)
• L1 ∩ L2 = { aa, aaaa, aaaaaa,.......} (Strings of even length excluding
Null)
• RE (L1 ∩ L2) = aa(aa)* which is a regular expression itself.
• Hence, proved.
 Closure properties of regular sets
• Property 3. The complement of a regular set is regular.
• Proof −
• Let us take a regular expression −
• RE = (aa)*
• So, L = {ε, aa, aaaa, aaaaaa, .......} (Strings of even length
including Null)
• Complement of L is all the strings that is not in L.
• So, L’ = {a, aaa, aaaaa, .....} (Strings of odd length excluding
Null)
• RE (L’) = a(aa)* which is a regular expression itself.
• Hence, proved.
 Closure properties of regular sets
• Property 4. The difference of two regular set is regular.
• Proof −
• Let us take two regular expressions −
• RE1 = a (a*) and RE2 = (aa)*
• So, L1 = {a, aa, aaa, aaaa, ....} (Strings of all possible lengths
excluding Null)
• L2 = { ε, aa, aaaa, aaaaaa,.......} (Strings of even length including
Null)
• L1 – L2 = {a, aaa, aaaaa, aaaaaaa, ....}
• (Strings of all odd lengths excluding Null)
• RE (L1 – L2) = a (aa)* which is a regular expression.
 Closure properties of regular sets
• Property 5. The reversal of a regular set is regular.
• Proof −
• We have to prove LR is also regular if L is a regular set.
• Let, L = {01, 10, 11, 10}
• RE (L) = 01 + 10 + 11 + 10
• LR = {10, 01, 11, 01}
• RE (LR) = 01 + 10 + 11 + 10 which is regular
• Hence, proved.
• Property 6. The closure of a regular set is regular.
• Proof −
• If L = {a, aaa, aaaaa, .......} (Strings of odd length excluding Null)
• i.e., RE (L) = a (aa)*
• L* = {a, aa, aaa, aaaa , aaaaa,……………} (Strings of all lengths excluding Null)
• RE (L*) = a (a)*
• Hence, proved.
 Closure properties of regular sets
• Property 7. The concatenation of two regular sets is regular.
• Proof −
• Let RE1 = (0+1)*0 and RE2 = 01(0+1)*
• Here, L1 = {0, 00, 10, 000, 010, ......} (Set of strings ending in 0)
• and L2 = {01, 010,011,.....} (Set of strings beginning with 01)
• Then, L1 L2 =
{001,0010,0011,0001,00010,00011,1001,10010,.............}
• Set of strings containing 001 as a substring which can be
represented by an RE − (0 + 1)*001(0 + 1)*
 Construct DFA Equivalent to
regular expression
• (0 +1 )*(00 + 11)(0 + 1)*
• 10 + (0 + 11)0*1
 Equivalence of 2 regular
expression
• Prove (a + b)* =a*(ba*)* by constructing
regular expressions
 CONSTRUCTION OF A REGULAR GRAMMAR
GENERATING T(M) FOR A GIVEN DFA M

• Construct a regular grammar G generating the

regular set represented by
• P = a*b(a + b)*.
 CONSTRUCTION OF A TRANSITION SYSTEM M
ACCEPTING L(G) FOR A GIVEN REGULAR
GRAMMAR G
• Let G =({Ao, A1,, {a. b}. P, Ao). where P
consists of Ao->aA1,A1->bA1,A1->a,A1->bA0
• Construct a transition system M accepting
L(G).
Pumping Lemma