This book provides an in-depth analysis of classical automata theory, including finite automata, pushdown automata, and Turing machines. It also covers current trends in automata theory, such as jumping, deep pushdown, and regulated automata. The book strikes a balance between a theoretical and practical approach to its subject by presenting many real world applications of automata in a variety of scientific areas, ranging from programming language processing through natural language syntax analysis up to computational musicology.

In Automata: Theories, Trends and Applications all formalisms concerning automata are rigorously introduced, and every complicated mathematical passage is preceded by its intuitive explanation so that even complex parts of the book are easy to grasp. The book also demonstrates how automata underlie several computer-science engineering techniques.

This monograph is a useful reference for scientists working in the areas of theoretical computer science, computational mathematics, computational linguistics, and compiler writing. It may also be used as a required text in classes dealing with the theory and applications of automata, and theory of computation at the graduate level. This book comes with access to a website which supplies supplementary material such as exercises with solutions, additional case studies, lectures to download, teaching tips for instructors, and more.

Contents:

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  Introduction:

  
  
  
  
  • Terminology
  
  
  • Automata
  
  
  
  


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  Theory:

  
  
  
  
  • Finite Automata
  
  
  • Pushdown Automata
  
  
  • Turing Machines
  
  
  • Automata and Their Grammatical Equivalents
  
  
  • A Metaphysics of Computation
  
  
  
  


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  Trends:

  
  
  
  
  • Regulated Automata
  
  
  • Jumping Automata
  
  
  • Deep Pushdown Automata
  
  
  
  


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  Applications:

  
  
  
  
  • Applications of Automata
  
  
  • Applications of Grammars
  
  
  
  


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  Conclusion:

  
  
  
  
  • Summary
  
  
  • Historical and Bibliographical Remarks
  
  
  
  

Readership: Scientists working in the areas of theoretical computer science, computational mathematics, computational linguistics, and compiler writing, and graduate courses dealing with the theory and application of automata, and theory of computation.

Key Features:

• Presents a simultaneous, through and well-balanced coverage of automata theory, theory of computation, new trends of automata theory, and applications of automata


• Provides a self-contained explanation without assumption of any previous knowledge


• Teaches easy-to-follow theoretical concepts preceded by intuitive explanations


• Contains clear demonstrations of theoretical results


• Showcases many algorithms, methods and techniques


• Demonstrates how theory and practice work together


• Includes several worked-out examples and real-world applications


• Explains the construction and implementation of some language processors, such as scanners and parsers