COMP 335: Introduction to

Theoretical Computer Science

Deterministic
Finite Automata
(DFA)

The content on this video was originally provided by Dr. Shiri,

and modified by Drs. Pankratov and Narayanan.
Previous video
• Why study theoretical CS?
• Math preliminaries:
• Sets
• Functions
• Relations
• Graphs
• Proofs
• Languages
Automaton (singular) / Automata (plural)

From Wikipedia:
An automaton is a self-operating machine, or a
machine or control mechanism designed to
automatically follow a predetermined sequence of
operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.
Finite Automaton

Input tape
String

Output
Finite String
Automaton
Finite Accepter

Input
String
Output
“Accept”
Finite
or
Automaton
“Reject”
Transition Graph/Diagram for a DFA
Input string: abba a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b accept state: double
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4 circle

initial final/accept
state state
transition
state
Initial Configuration
Input String
a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Reading the Input

a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 Input finished

a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4 Final state
 Input finished AND Final state
è
Output: “accept”
a b b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Rejection

a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 Input finished

a b a

a, b
Non-final state
q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 Input finished AND Non-Final state
è Output: “reject”

a b a

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Another input here the input is lambda

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 a, b
Output:
“reject” q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Does the following DFA accept the input
string aab? accepted

a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2
a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2
a a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2
 Input finished

a a b

a a, b
Output: “accept”

q0 b q1 a, b q2
 Does M accept the string bab?

b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2
b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2
b a b

a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2
 Input finished

b a b

a a, b
Output: “reject” trap state.
a state which is not a final
state and from which it can
q0 b q1 a, b q2 not escape
Formal definition of DFA 𝑀 = (𝑄, Σ, 𝛿, 𝑞) , 𝐹)
deterministic machine:
Deterministic Finite Accepter/Automaton 𝑀 : for each node there should be
an outgoing arrow for each
• 𝑄 : States (a finite set of states) alphabets. But should not be 2
arrows for single alphabet.
• Σ : Alphabet (a finite set of input symbols)
• 𝛿 : Transition function (𝛿: 𝑄×Σ → 𝑄)
• 𝑞) : Initial state (an element of 𝑄)
• 𝐹 : Final states (a subset of 𝑄)
Input Alphabet Σ

Σ = {𝑎, 𝑏}
a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Set of States 𝑄 infinity > |Q| >= 1

𝑄 = {𝑞) , 𝑞3 , 𝑞4 , 𝑞5 , 𝑞6 , 𝑞7 }
a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Initial State 𝑞)

a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Final State(s) 𝐹

𝐹 = {𝑞6 } a, b

q5
a a, b
b a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Transition Function 𝛿

𝛿: 𝑄×Σ → 𝑄
a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4

COMP 335 33
 𝛿 𝑞) , 𝑎 = 𝑞3

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 𝛿 𝑞) , 𝑏 = 𝑞7

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 d (q2 , b ) = q3

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Transition Function 𝛿

d a b
q0 q1 q5
q1 q5 q2 a, b
q2 q5 q3
q3 q4 q5 q5
q4 q5 q5 b a a, b
a b
q5 q5 q5 q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 ∗ ∗
Extended Transition Function 𝛿 : 𝑄×Σ → 𝑄
Informal definition: 𝛿 ∗ (q, w) is the state in which the DFA is, after
it processes string w, starting from state q.
a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 d * (q0 , ab ) = q2
shai star (q1 , abba) = q4

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 d * (q0 , abba ) = q4

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
 shai * (q2 , ba) = q4

d * (q0 , abbbaa ) = q5

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Observation: there is a walk from 𝑞 to 𝑞′ with label 𝑤
if and only if understanding this is very
𝛿 ∗ 𝑞, 𝑤 = 𝑞′ enough, recursive defn is just
formality

q w q¢

𝑤 = 𝜎3 𝜎4 … 𝜎A
s1 s2 sk
q q¢
Example: there is a walk from 𝑞) to 𝑞7 with label 𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑎𝑎

𝛿 ∗ 𝑞) , 𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑎𝑎 = 𝑞7

a, b

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Recursive Definition
𝛿 ∗ 𝑞, 𝜆 = 𝑞 base case
𝛿 ∗ 𝑞, 𝑤𝜎 = 𝛿 𝛿 ∗ 𝑞, 𝑤 , 𝜎

q w q1 s q¢

𝛿 ∗ 𝑞, 𝑤 = 𝑞3 𝛿 𝑞3 , 𝜎 = 𝑞′

𝛿 ∗ 𝑞, 𝑤𝜎 = 𝑞′
 𝛿 ∗ 𝑞) , 𝑎𝑏 =
𝛿 𝛿 ∗ 𝑞) , 𝑎 , 𝑏 =
𝛿 𝛿 𝛿 ∗ 𝑞) , 𝜆 , 𝑎 , 𝑏 =
𝛿 𝛿 𝑞) , 𝑎 , 𝑏 =
𝛿 𝑞3 , 𝑏 =
a, b 𝑞4

q5
b a a, b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
Languages Accepted by DFAs
The language accepted by a DFA 𝑀 is denoted L(M) and is the set of all
strings accepted by 𝑀. every string that is not here, is rejected
2 conditions: 1) accept what is here, 2) reject what is not
𝐿 𝑀 is the set of all strings that drive M to a Tinal state.

Formally, given a DFA 𝑀 = 𝑄, Σ, 𝛿, 𝑞) , 𝐹

𝐿 𝑀 = 𝑤 ∈ Σ ∗ ∶ 𝛿 ∗ 𝑞) , 𝑤 ∈ 𝐹

only accepts 1 language

Example: 𝐿 𝑀 = 𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑎

a, b

q5 trap state
b a a , b
a b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q 4
accept
Another Example 𝐿 𝑀 = {𝜆, 𝑎𝑏, 𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑎}

a, b

q5
b a a a, b
b
q0 a q1 b q2 b q3 a q4
accept accept accept
Consider the DFA M given below.
What is L(M)? = { a^n b : n>=0}
Q: if L1 = {a^2n b : n>= 0}
does M accepts L1?
NO, because it does not reject L1(compliment)
a a, b

q0 b q1 a, b q2

accept trap state

 Design a DFA 𝑀 that accepts all strings on
the alphabet {a, b} that start with ab.
a, b

q0 a q1 b q2

b a accept
dfa can not do infinity
q3 a, b memory, but can do finite
memory
 Design a DFA M such that:
L(M) = 𝑤 ∶ 𝑤 contains the substring 001

to accept the compliment: accept the non accepted states and do not accept the accepted
states
Design a DFA M such that:
L(M) = 𝑤 ∶ 𝑤 does not contain the substring 001

1 0 0,1
1

l 0 1
0 00 001

0
Regular Languages
Definition: A language 𝐿 is regular if there is a DFA 𝑀 that accepts 𝐿:

𝐿 = 𝐿(𝑀)

The set of all regular languages forms a family of languages.

To show that a language L is regular, it is enough to design a DFA that

accepts L.
Examples of Regular Languages
• 𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑎
• {𝜆, 𝑎𝑏, 𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑎}
• {𝑎` 𝑏 ∶ 𝑛 ≥ 0}
• Set of all strings with preTix 𝑎𝑏
• {w: w = vab for some string v }
• 𝑤: 𝑤 does not contain the substring 001

For each of the above languages we can design a DFA that accepts it.
 ∗
Show that the language 𝐿 = 𝑎𝑤𝑎 ∶ 𝑤 ∈ 𝑎, 𝑏 is regular.
in this kind of question, we need to design a DFA.

a a
There are languages that are not regular.
Example: 𝐿 = {𝑎` 𝑏 ` ∶ 𝑛 ≥ 0}

As we will learn later, there is no DFA for this and (infinitely) many
other languages.
Review questions
• What is a Deterministic Finite Automaton (DFA)?

• When do we say a string w is accepted by a DFA M?

• What is the language accepted by a given DFA M?

• What is a regular language?

You should now be able to…
• Given a DFA M, and a string w:
say whether M accepts w , or if M rejects w.

• Given a DFA M, describe L(M).

• Given a regular language L, design a DFA that accepts L.