Abstract
We show: for every constant m it can be decided in polynomial time whether or not two m-ambiguous finite tree automata are equivalent. In general, inequivalence for finite tree automata is DEXPTIME-complete w.r.t. logspace reductions, and PSPACE-complete w.r.t. logspace reductions, if the automata in question are supposed to accept only finite languages. For finite tree automata with coefficients in a field R we give a polynomial time algorithm for deciding ambiguity-equivalence provided R-operations and R-tests for 0 can be performed in constant time. We apply this algorithm for deciding ambiguity-inequivalence of finite tree automata in randomized polynomial time.
Furthermore, for every constant m we show that it can be decided in polynomial time whether or not a given finite tree automaton is m-ambiguous.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
A.V. Aho, J.E. Hopcroft, J.D. Ullman: The design and analysis of computer algorithms. Addison-Wesley 1974
T. Apostol: Introduction to analytic number theory. Springer Verlag New York, 1976
A.K. Chandra, D.C. Kozen, L.J. Stockmeyer: Alternation. JACM 28 (1981) pp. 114–133
J. Doner: Tree acceptors and some of their applications. JCSS 4 (1970) pp. 406–451
S. Eilenberg: Automata, languages, and machines, Vol. A. Academic Press, New York, 1974
F. Gecseg, M. Steinby: Tree automata. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, 1984
G.H. Hardy, E.M. Wright: An introduction to the theory of numbers. Oxford, 4th edition 1960
W. Kuich: Finite automata and ambiguity. Manuscript 1987
A.R. Meyer, L.J. Stockmeyer: The equivalence problem for regular expressions with squaring requires exponential space. 13th SWAT (1972) pp. 125–129
W.J. Paul: Komplexitätstheorie. B.G. Teubner Stuttgart 1978
M.O. Rabin: Decidability of second-order theories and automata on infinite trees. Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 141 (1969) pp. 1–35
B. Rosser, L. Schoenfeld: Approximate formulas for some functions of prime numbers. Illinois J. of Mathematics 6 (1962) pp. 64–94
R. Stearns, H. Hunt III: On the equivalence and containment problems for unambiguous regular expressions, regular grammars and finite automata. 22th FOCS (1981) pp. 74–81
R. Stearns, H. Hunt III: On the equivalence and containment problems for unambiguous regular expressions, regular grammars and finite automata. SIAM J. Comp. 14 (1985) pp. 598–611
L.J. Stockmeyer, A.R. Meyer: Word problems requiring exponential time. 5th ACM-STOC pp. 1–9, 1973
J.W. Thatcher, J.B. Wright: Generalized finite automata theory with an application to a decision problem of second order logic. Math. Syst. Th. 2 (1968) pp. 57–81
W. Thomas: Logical aspects in the study of tree languages. In: 9th Coll. on Trees in Algebra and Programming”, B. Courcelle, Ed., Cambridge Univ. Press, 1984, pp. 31–49
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Seidl, H. (1989). Deciding equivalence of finite tree automata. In: Monien, B., Cori, R. (eds) STACS 89. STACS 1989. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 349. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0029009
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0029009
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-50840-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46098-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive