Gain insights into formal languages, regular languages, regular expressions, context-free languages, and Turing machines. Delve into automata models and enhance problem-solving skills through extensive exercises.
56 Lessons
15h
Join 2.9 million developers at
Join 2.9 million developers at
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- A solid understanding of formal languages, their structures and properties
- Working knowledge of capabilities and limitations of different types of automata
- The ability to convert between regular expressions, finite automata, context-free grammars and pushdown automata
- Insights into computability theory, undecidability, reductions and the halting problem
Learning Roadmap
1.
Getting Started
Getting Started
Get familiar with core computation concepts, formal languages, and finite state machines.
2.
Finite Automata
Finite Automata
Walk through finite automata concepts, including DFAs, NFAs, regular languages, and machine minimization.
3.
Regular Expressions and Grammars
Regular Expressions and Grammars
3 Lessons
3 Lessons
Break apart regular expressions, their equivalence with finite automata, and regular grammars.
4.
Properties of Regular Languages
Properties of Regular Languages
6 Lessons
6 Lessons
Grasp the fundamentals of regular languages, decision algorithms, Pumping Theorem, and nonregular language properties.
5.
Pushdown Automata
Pushdown Automata
3 Lessons
3 Lessons
Deepen your knowledge of pushdown automata, their applications, and deterministic vs. nondeterministic behaviors.
6.
Context-Free Grammars
Context-Free Grammars
7 Lessons
7 Lessons
Focus on the structure, simplification, and conversion of context-free grammars and pushdown automata.
7.
Properties of Context-Free Languages
Properties of Context-Free Languages
7 Lessons
7 Lessons
Master the key properties, algorithms, and formalisms of context-free languages.
8.
Turing Machines
Turing Machines
8 Lessons
8 Lessons
Try out Turing machines, their definitions, functions, variations, and the Church-Turing Thesis.
9.
The Landscape of Formal Languages
The Landscape of Formal Languages
4 Lessons
4 Lessons
Unpack the core of formal languages, from RE languages and unrestricted grammars to Chomsky hierarchy.
10.
Computability
Computability
3 Lessons
3 Lessons
Examine limits of computability, undecidability problems, and implications of Rice's theorem.
Certificate of Completion
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Developed by MAANG Engineers
ABOUT THIS COURSE
What are the mathematics behind computers? What are the theoretical foundations of computer languages? Such questions can be explored by understanding formal languages and automata models.
In this comprehensive course, you’ll explore formal languages, regular languages, and how to model them with their associated automata models. Next, you’ll cover regular expressions and grammar, and their equivalents. Then, you’ll explore context-free languages (the foundations of programming languages), pushdown automata, and the relationship between them. Toward the end, you’ll learn about recursively enumerable languages, Turing machines with their variations, context-sensitive languages, and unrestricted grammars.
By the end of the course, you’ll have gained a deep understanding of several formal languages and their associated automata. Also, since there are plenty of exercises throughout the course, your understanding and problem-solving skills will be thoroughly reinforced.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chuck Allison
Professor Emeritus of Computer Science. Previously a software engineer with two decades of experience.
Trusted by 2.9 million developers working at companies
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Anthony Walker
@_webarchitect_
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Evan Dunbar
ML Engineer
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Software Developer
Carlos Matias La Borde
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Souvik Kundu
Front-end Developer
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Vinay Krishnaiah
Software Developer
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