Chapter 3 :

Convert nfa to dfa

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Step 1:
• Every edge labeled with a string of length n  2
should be replaced with a series of n edges, an
edge is labeled with one symbol.

aabc

a a b c

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 After we precede by two steps

i. Removing empty transitions

ii. Convert a nfa to dfa. Removing several

edges with the same label originate from
one vertex.

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 Iterated transition function

• Let M = (Q,,,q0,F) be an dfa:

• We can generalize  to *: Qx* |--- Q with:
– *(q, ) = q
– *(q, aw) = *((q,a),w)
• Then for every string w:
– wL(M)  *(q0, w)F
• We call * the iterated transition function
of 
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 Extension nondeterministic
• Let M = (Q,, *,q0,F) be nfa without
-transition and without transition labeled
with a string (only letters), since the
transition relation * can be defined by a
function :
Qx |---(Q)

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 Example
• Let an automaton nfa defined by the relation:
 a b
q0 q0,q3 q0, q1
q1 - q2
q2 q2 q2
q3 q4 -
q4 q4 q4

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 Example
• We consider * as a function  from Qx in
(Q) :
* a b
q0 {q0,q3} {q0, q1}
q1  {q2}
q2 {q2} {q2}
q3 {q4} 
q4 {q4} {q4}

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 Iterated transition function
• We assume, also, that *:
– *(q,) = {q}
– *(q,wa) = {p; r*(q,w) with p  (r,a)}
• Notice:
– wL(M)  *(q0,w)F  
• We extend the function * on (Q) instead of Q: the
image of X(Q) by * is the direct image of the set X
by *.

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 example
• In this example:
* a b
q0 {q0,q3} {q0, q1}
q1  {q2}
q2 {q2} {q2}
q3 {q4} 
q4 {q4} {q4}
• *({q0,q1}, b) = *(q0,b)*(q1,b) =
{q0,q1,q2}
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 nfa with -transitions
• We consider the transition as a function :
 : Qx({}) |--- (Q)

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 Example of nfa with  transitions
a
c
b
 
q0 q1 q2

The transition function  is defined by:

 a b c 
q0 q0 - - q1
q1 - q1 - q2
q2 - - q2 -

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 -closure
• Let consider a state q, the -closure, E(q)
is defined by:
E(q) = set of states that are reached from the
state q with a succession of -transitions.

• We extend  as follows:
• *(q, ) = E(q)
• For every w*, a then *(q, wa) = E(P)
with P = {p; r *(q, w) with p(r, a)}

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 example
• With the previous nfa:
– E(q0) = {q0,q1,q2}; E(q1) = {q1,q2}; E(q2) = {q2}
– *(q0,) = {q0,q1,q2}
– *(q0, aabc):
• by a, we get : {q0,q1,q2}
• by aa : {q0,q1,q2}
• by aab : {q1,q2}
• by aabc : {q2}

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 Elimination of -transitions
• Let M = (Q, , , q0, F) be nfa with -transitions.
• Let M’ = (Q, , ’, q0, F’) where:

if E(q0) enclose a final state of F

F’ = F{q0}
Else F’=F
– ’(q, a) = *(q, a) for every a
• Since M’ has no -transitions

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 example
• With previous example
* a b c
q0 {q0,q1,q2} {q1,q2} {q2}
q1  {q1,q2} {q2}
q2   {q2}

• Then q0 is a final state, E(q0) enclose a final

state (q2) and q2 is a final state in M’, because q2
was a final state in M
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Result of removing -transitions
c
a b

b
b
q1 q2
q0
a c

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 Determination – Last step
• Now we assume that there is nor -transitions neither
transitions with strings of length greater than 1 , we can
convert a nfa into dfa such as:

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 Conclusion
• Let M = (Q, , q0, F, ) be a nfa automaton where  is relation
Qx(Q) instead of being a function QxQ.
• Let M’ = (Q’, , q’0, F’, ’) with:
– Q’ =(Q)
– q’0 = E(q0)
– F’ = {PQ’; PF}
– ’(P,a) = *(P,a) for every PQ’ and every a
Then:
1. M’ is deterministic ( ’: Q’x  Q’)
2. L(M) = L(M’) (The same associated language of M & M’)

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 Formalization
Let M = (Q, , , q0, F) a nfa automaton.
The dfa automaton M’ = (Q’, , ’, q’0, F’)

E(q) ={pQ | (q,w) |---* (p,w) }

– Q’ =(Q)
– q’0 = E(q0)
– F’ = {PQ’; PF}
– ’(P,a) = { E(q) | pP with (p,a,q)   }

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construct a dfa equivalent to nfa
c
a b

b
b
q1 q2
q0
a c

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 Defining ’
’ a b c
{q0} {q0, q1, q2} {q1, q2} {q2}
{q0, q1, q2} {q0, q1, q2} {q1, q2} {q2}
{q1, q2}  {q1, q2} {q2}
{q2}   {q2}

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 Direct answer from nfa with
-transitions
• E(q0)={q0, q1, q2}
a b c
{q0,q1,q2} {q0,q1,q2}{q1,q2} {q2}
{q1,q2}  {q1,q2} {q2}
{q2}   {q2}

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 a
b

b
{q0, q1, q2}} {q1, q2}

c c

{q2}

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c