An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata

Written to address the fundamentals of formal languages, automata, and computabilty, An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata provides an accessible, student-friendly presentation of all material essential to an introductory Theory of Computation course. It is designed to familiarize students with the foundations and principles of computer science and to strengthen the students' ability to carry out formal and rigorous mathematical arguments. In the new Fifth Edition, Peter Linz continues to offer a straightforward, uncomplicated treatment of formal languages and automata and avoids excessive mathematical detail so that students may focus on and understand the underlying principles. In an effort to further the accessibility and comprehension of the text, the author has added new illustrative examples and exercises throughout. There is a substantial amount of new material in the form of two new appendices, and a CD-ROM of JFLAP exercises authored by Susan Rodger of Duke University. The first appendix is an entire chapter on finite-state transducers. This optional chapter can be used to prepare students for further related study. The second appendix offers a brief introduction to JFLAP; an interactive software tool that is of great help in both learning the material and in teaching the course. Many of the exercises in the text require creating structures that are complicated and that have to be tested for correctness. JFLAP can greatly reduce students’ time spent on testing as well as help them visualize abstract concepts. The CD-ROM that accompanies this fifth edition expands this and offers exercises specific for JFLAP.