Introduction to Finite Automata

In this chapter we are going to study a class of machines called finite

automata.
Finite automata are computing devices that accept/recognize regular
languages and are used to model operations of many systems we find in
practice.
Their operations can be simulated by a very simple computer program.
Kind of systems finite automata can model and a computer program to
simulate their operations are discussed later.
Let us consider the operation of a soft drink vending machine which
charges 15 cents for a can. Pretend that you are the machine.
Initially you are waiting for a customer to come and put some coins, that is,
you are in the waiting-for-customer state.
Let us assume that only nickels and dimes are used for simplicity.
When a customer comes and puts in the first coin, say a dime, you are no
longer in the waiting-for-customer state.
You have received 10 cents and are waiting for more coins to come. So we
might say you are in the 10-cents state.
If the customer puts in a nickel, then you have now received 15 cents and
you wait for the customer to select a soft drink. So you are in another state,
say 15-cents state.
When the customer selects a soft drink, you must give the customer a can
of soft drink.
After that you stay in that state until another coin is put in to start the
process anew or you may terminate the operation and start all over from
the initial state.
The states and the transitions between them of this vending machine can
be represented with the diagram below.
In the figure, circles represent states and arrows state transitions. Ds on
arrows represent a dime and Ns a nickel.

 It is assumed that the machine terminates its operation when it receives 15

cents or more.

In this example you as a vending machine have gone through

(transitions between) a number of states responding to the inputs from the
customer (coins in this case).
A vending machine looked at this way is an example of finite automaton.
We have learned that regular languages are represented by regular
expressions and conversely.
In the next few topics first we are going to learn different kinds of finite
automata, and equivalence and conversions between them.
Then we are going to see that for every regular language a unique finite
automaton can be constructed which can recognize the language (i.e. tell
whether or not a given string belongs to the regular language).
But right now, we are then going to study how finite automata can be used
to simulate operations of systems we see in practice.

Application of Finite Automata:

We have seen an example of use of finite automata in describing the
operation of a simplified version of vending machine.
Many other systems operating in practice can also be modeled by finite
automata such as control circuits of computers, computer network
communication protocols, lexical analysers for compilers etc.
Many of those systems fall into the class of systems called reactive system.
A reactive system is a system that changes its actions, outputs and
conditions/status in response to stimuli from within or outside it.
It is an event driven or control driven system continuously having to react
to external and/or internal stimuli.
The inputs for a reactive system are never ready unlike for example when
two numbers are added together by an adder (Here we are considering an
adder at a higher level of abstraction than physical devices level ignoring
for example the transient states of the electronic circuit that realizes an
adder).
An adder does not respond unless the input i.e. two numbers to be added
are ready.
A system such as an adder is called a transformational system.
In the case of vending machine or communication protocol, on the other
hand, a system must respond to each stimulus, even to a fragment of input
such as each coin tossed in for a can of soda or every message received.

Unfortunately not all languages and systems are simple like regular
languages or finite automata.
There are languages which are not regular and which, therefore, cannot be
recognized by finite automata.

 We are going to learn languages which are not regular and ways to test
languages for non-regularity.
Later we are going to learn an extension of finite automata called Turing
machines.
Though Turing machines are simple modification of finite automata, they
are much more powerful computing devices than finite automata.
In fact Turing machines are as powerful as computers and it is generally
believed, though not proven, that any computation human beings do (with
or without computers) can be performed by Turing machines.