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<Chapter><Heading>Automata <Emph>versus</Emph> rational expressions</Heading>


A remarkable theorem due to Kleene shows that a language is recognized by a finite automaton precisely when it may be given by means of a rational expression, i.e. is a rational language.
<P/>
An automaton and a rational expression are said to be <E>equivalent</E> when both represent the same language.
In this chapter we describe functions to go from automata to equivalent rational expressions and <E>vice-versa</E>.

<Section><Heading>From automata to rational expressions</Heading>


<ManSection> 
<Func Name="AutomatonToRatExp " Arg="A"/>
<Func Name="AutToRatExp" Arg="A"/>
<Func Name="FAtoRatExp" Arg="A"/>
<Description>
 From a finite automaton, <C>FAtoRatExp</C>, <C>AutToRatExp</C>  and <C>AutomatonToRatExp</C>, which are synonyms, compute one equivalent rational expression,
using the state elimination algorithm.
<Example>
gap> x:=Automaton("det",4,2,[[ 0, 1, 2, 3 ],[ 0, 1, 2, 3 ]],[ 3 ],[ 1, 3, 4 ]);;
gap> FAtoRatExp(x);
(aUb)(aUb)U@
</Example>
</Description> 
</ManSection> 
</Section>
<Section><Heading>From rational expression to automata</Heading>

<ManSection> 
<Func Name="RatExpToNDAut" Arg="R"/>
<Description>
Given a rational expression <A>R</A>, computes the equivalent NFA
<Example>
gap> r:=RationalExpression("aUab");
aUab
gap> Display(RatExpToNDAut(r));
   |  1    2       3    4
--------------------------------
 a |                   [ 1, 2 ]
 b |      [ 3 ]
Initial state:    [ 4 ]
Accepting states: [ 1, 3 ]
</Example>
</Description> 
</ManSection> 

<ManSection> 
<Func Name="RatExpToAutomaton" Arg="R"/>
<Func Name="RatExpToAut" Arg="R"/>
<Description>
 Given a rational expression <A>R</A>, these functions, which are synonyms, use <Ref Func="RatExpToNDAut"/>) to compute the equivalent NFA and then returns the equivalent minimal DFA
<Example>
gap> r:=RationalExpression("@U(aUb)(aUb)");
@U(aUb)(aUb)
gap> Display(RatExpToAut(r));
   |  1  2  3  4
-----------------
 a |  3  1  3  2
 b |  3  1  3  2
Initial state:    [ 4 ]
Accepting states: [ 1, 4 ]
</Example>
</Description> 
</ManSection> 

</Section>
 <Section>
    <Heading>
      Some tests on automata
    </Heading>
    This section describes functions that perform tests on automata, rational expressions and their accepted languages.
      <ManSection>
        <Func Arg="R" Name="IsEmptyLang" />
        <Description>
          This function tests if the language given through a rational expression or an automaton
          <Arg>
            R
          </Arg>
          is the empty language.
<Example>
gap> r:=RandomRatExp(2);
empty_set
gap> IsEmptyLang(r);
true
gap> r:=RandomRatExp(2);
aUb
gap> IsEmptyLang(r);
false
</Example>
        </Description>
      </ManSection>
      <ManSection>
        <Func Arg="R" Name="IsFullLang" />
        <Description>
          This function tests if the language given through a rational expression or an automaton
          <Arg>
            R
          </Arg>
          represents the Kleene closure of the alphabet of
          <A>
            R
          </A>
          .
<Example>
gap> r:=RationalExpression("aUb");
aUb
gap> IsFullLang(r);
false
gap> r:=RationalExpression("(aUb)*");
(aUb)*
gap> IsFullLang(r);
true
</Example>
        </Description>
      </ManSection>


<ManSection> 
        <Func Arg="A1, A2" Name="AreEqualLang" />
<Func Name="AreEquivAut" Arg="A1,A2 "/>
<Description>
 These functions, which are synonyms, test if the automata or rational expressions <A>A1</A> and <A>A2</A> are equivalent, i.e. represent the same language. 
This is performed by checking that the corresponding minimal automata are isomorphic.
<Example>
gap> y:=RandomAutomaton("det",4,2);;
gap> x:=RandomAutomaton("det",4,2);;
gap> AreEquivAut(x, y);
false
gap> a:=RationalExpression("(aUb)*ab*");
(aUb)*ab*
gap> b:=RationalExpression("(aUb)*");
(aUb)*
gap> AreEqualLang(a, b);
false
gap> a:=RationalExpression("(bUa)*");
(bUa)*
gap> AreEqualLang(a, b);
true
</Example>
        </Description>
      </ManSection>
      <ManSection>
        <Func Arg="R1, R2" Name="IsContainedLang" />
        <Description>
          Tests if the language represented  (through an automaton or a rational expression) by
          <A>
            R1
          </A>
          is contained in the language represented (through an automaton or a rational expression) by
          <A>
            R2
          </A>
          .
<Example>
gap> r:=RationalExpression("aUab");
aUab
gap> s:=RationalExpression("a","ab");
a
gap> IsContainedLang(s,r);
true
gap> IsContainedLang(r,s);
false
</Example>
        </Description>
      </ManSection>
      <ManSection>
        <Func Arg="R1, R2" Name="AreDisjointLang" />
        <Description>
          Tests if the languages represented (through automata or a rational expressions) by
          <A>
            R1
          </A>
          and
          <A>
            R2
          </A>
          are disjoint.
<Example>
gap> r:=RationalExpression("aUab");;
gap> s:=RationalExpression("a","ab");;
gap> AreDisjointLang(r,s);
false
</Example>
        </Description>
      </ManSection>
  </Section>

</Chapter>
