Term Paper Title

ARDEN’S THEOREM

Bachelor of Technology
Computer Science and Engineering

Submitted By

ASHISH KUMAR (13000118115)

MAY 2020

Techno India
EM-4/1, Sector-V, Salt Lake
Kolkata- 700091
West Bengal
India
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Body
i. Arden’s Theorem
 Statement
 Mathematical Proof
ii. Conditions for Applying Arden’s Theorem
iii. Method to Apply Arden’s Theorem
iv. Example with solution
v. Applications of Arden’s theorem
vi. Identities Related to Regular Expressions
4. Conclusion
5. References

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 ABSTRACT
This is a brief and concise term paper that introduces the fundamental concepts of Arden’s
theorem. This paper is very useful for educational purposes. It contains all the important/relevent
points about Arden’s theorem along with example and solution. It also contains some identities
releated to regular expression. Arden’s theorem is widely used in the field of computer science
for conversion of deterministic finite automata to regular expression.

This paper is meant as a self contained introduction to Arden’s theorem. The materials of this
paper have been inspired by books and web material.

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 INTRODUCTION
In order to find out a regular expression of a Finite Automata, we use Arden’s Theorem along
with the properties of regular expressions. The Arden's Theorem is also called Arden’s Lemma. It
is a mathematical statement. It is also useful for checking the equivalence of two regular
expressions as well as in the conversion of DFA to a regular expression. Let us see it’s use in the
conversion of DFA to a regular expression.

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 BODY
Arden’s Theorem

Statement :
 Let P and Q be two regular expressions. If P does not contain null string, then
R = Q + RP
has a unique solution that is
R = QP*

Mathematical Proof :
R = Q + (Q + RP)P [After putting the value R = Q + RP]

= Q + QP + RPP

When we put the value of R recursively again and again,

we get the following equation:

R = Q + QP + QP2 + QP3…..

R = Q (є + P + P2 + P3 + …. )

R = QP* [As P* represents (є + P + P2 + P3 + ….) ]

Hence, proved.

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Conditions for Applying Arden’s Theorem:

1. The transition diagram must not have NULL transitions

2. It must have only one initial state.

Method to Applying :

 Step 1: Create equations as the following form for all the states of the DFA having n
states with initial state q1.

q1 = q1R11 + q2R21 + … + qnRn1 + є

q2 = q1R12 + q2R22 + … + qnRn2

..…………………………

……………………………

……………………………

……………………………

qn = q1R1n + q2R2n + … + qnRnn

Rij represents the set of labels of edges from qi to qj, if no such edge exists, then

Rij = Ø

 Step 2: Solve these equations to get the equation for the final state in terms of Rij

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Example :

 Construct a regular expression corresponding to the automata given below:

Solution :

Here, the initial state is q2 and the final state is q1.

The equations for the three states q1, q2, and q3 are as follows:

q1 = q1a + q3a + є (є move is because q1 is the initial state0

q2 = q1b + q2b + q3b

q3 = q2a

Now, we will solve these three equations:

q2 = q1b + q2b + q3b

= q1b + q2b + (q2a)b (Substituting value of q3)

= q1b + q2(b + ab)

= q1b (b + ab)* (Applying Arden’s Theorem)

q1 = q1a + q3a + є

= q1a + q2aa + є (Substituting value of q3)

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 = q1a + q1b(b + ab*)aa + є (Substituting value of q2)

= q1(a + b(b + ab)*aa) + є

= є (a+ b(b + ab)*aa)*

= (a + b(b + ab)*aa)*

Hence,

The regular expression is (a + b(b + ab)*aa)*.

Applications of Arden’s theorem :

The main applications of Arden’s Theorem are as following:

 It helps to determine the regular expression of finite automata.

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Identities Related to Regular Expressions:

Given R, P, L, Q as regular expressions, the following identities hold:

1. Ø* = ε

2. ε* = ε

3. R+ = RR* = R*R

4. R*R* = R*

5. (R*)* = R*

6. RR* = R*R

7. (PQ)*P =P(QP)*

8. (a+b)* = (a*b*)* = (a*+b*)* = (a+b*)* = a*(ba*)*

9. R + Ø = Ø + R = R (The identity for union)

10. Rε = εR = R (The identity for concatenation)

11. ØL = LØ = Ø (The annihilator for concatenation)

12. R + R = R (Idempotent law)

13. L (M + N) = LM + LN (Left distributive law)

14. (M + N) L = LM + LN (Right distributive law)

15. ε + RR* = ε + R*R = R*

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 CONCLUSION
Arden’s theorem is very useful for getting regular expressions of finite automata.
In the study of Arden’s Theorem a question is generated that why it has a unique
solution i.e R = QP* ?, And the reason of this is, in the expression R = Q + RP, P does
not contains null.
With the help of Arden’s Theorem we also can check the equivalence of two regular
expressions.

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 REFERENCES
 Arden, D. N. (1960). Delayed logic and finite state machines, Theory of Computing
Machine Design, pp. 1-35, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
 Dean N. Arden (Oct 1961). "Delayed Logic and Finite State Machines". Proc. 2nd Ann.
Symp. on Switching Circuit Theory and Logical Design (SWCT), Detroit/MI. (open-access
abstract)
 John E. Hopcroft and Jeffrey D. Ullman, Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages,
and Computation, Addison-Wesley Publishing, Reading Massachusetts, 1979. ISBN 0-201-
02988-X. Chapter 2: Finite Automata and Regular Expressions, p.54.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arden%27s_rule#Statement_of_Arden's_rule

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