For a non-deterministic finite automaton M over an alphabet Σ, we write L(M)⊆Σ∗ for the set of words accepted by M. We write ∣w∣ for the length of the word w, and write N for the set of non-negative integers.
Answer the following questions:
(1) Consider the non-deterministic finite automaton M0 depicted below, where q0 is the start state, and q3 is the only final state. Give x,y,z∈{a,b,c}∗ that satisfy all of the following conditions:
(i) xyz=abcc
(ii) ∣y∣>0
(iii) xynz∈L(M) for every n∈N.
(2) Prove that, for every non-deterministic finite automaton M consisting of k states and for every w∈L(M) such that ∣w∣≥k, there exist x,y, and z that satisfy all of the following conditions:
(i) xyz=w
(ii) ∣y∣>0
(iii) ∣xy∣≤k
(iv) xynz∈L(M) for every n∈N.
(3) Prove that there exists no non-deterministic finite automaton M such that L(M)={ambn∣m,n∈N,0<m<n}. You may use the fact proved in question (2).
Fix an accepting run of M on w=a1⋯am, where m≥k. Among the states after reading 0,1,…,k symbols, two are equal; write them as pi=pj with 0≤i<j≤k. Set
x=a1⋯ai,y=ai+1⋯aj,z=aj+1⋯am.
Then ∣y∣>0, ∣xy∣=j≤k, and the run segment from pi back to pj=pi may be repeated any number of times. Hence xynz∈L(M) for every n∈N.
L(M)={ambn∣n,m∈N,0<m<n}
Assume that L is regular language.
Then pumping lemma must hold.
Consider w=akbk+1∈L, where k is the pumping lemma constant.
Because ∣w∣=2k+1>k, then there must exist a partitioning
xyz=w such that ∣xy∣<k, ∣y∣>0 and xynz∈Lfor alln∈N.
Since ∣xy∣≤k, we have y=ar for some r≥1. Then xy3z has k+2r≥k+2 occurrences of a but only k+1 occurrences of b, so it is not in L.
Contradiction with statement that xynz∈L for all n∈N.
L(M) is not regular, thus there exist no automaton recognizing it.