ExpressionEvaluation

Chapter6
EECS268
Dr.DouglasNiehaus

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

Introduction
Evaluatingexpressionsisaclassicapplication
contextforbothgrammarsandstacks
Grammarspermitparsingoftheexpressionsand
creatingdatastructuresthatrepresentthe
expressionsemanticscorrectly
Stacksareusefulforevaluatingmanykindsof
expressions,mostobviouslyalgebraicexpressions
a*bc,a/b*c,((c+16)/b)+42
Recallthathumansmostcommonlyuseinfixnotation
fortheseexpressions,i.e.valopval
Problem:infixgrammarisnotacomplete
specificationofexpressionsemantics
Operatorprecedenceandparenthesesarealso
required
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Introduction

Solution:useprefixorpostfixnotationsincetheir
grammarsaredefinitive,unambiguous,without
needingprecedencerulesorparentheses
SimpleAlgebraicExpressionGrammars
(1)infix=infixoperatorinfix|operand|(infix)
(2)prefix=operatorprefixprefix|operand
(3)postfix=postfixpostfixoperator|operand
Example:
InfixPrefixPostfix
abcPrefix:abcPostfix:abc
a(bc)Prefix:abcPostfix:abc

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

Introduction

Wethuswanttobeableto
(1)Evaluatepostfix(prefix)expressions,and
(2)Convertfrominfixtopostfix(prefix)expression.
Evaluatingpostfixusingastackisamazinglyeasy
oncethebasicpatternisunderstood
Usingastacktoconvertfrominfixtopostfixisalso
fairlysimple,butiscomplicatedbytheoperator
precedenceandparenthesissemantics
Postfixgrammar:
<postfix>=<identifier>|<postfix><postfix><operator>
<identifier>=a|b||z
<operator>=+||*|/

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

PostfixExpressionEvaluation

Wecanusestacktohelpevaluateapostfix
expression,whilereadingtheexpressionelements
(tokens)fromlefttoright
Operandsarepushedonthestack
Operatorspop2operandsandpushresults
Stackcontains1element,theresult,whenavalid
expressionisfullyevaluated
Algorithmisslightlymorecomplexifwepermit
negativenumbers(unaryoperator)
Noteweneedaseparateoperatorforthisin
postfix
Excellentexerciseforthestudent

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

PostfixExpressionEvaluation

Algorithm

foreachtokeninpostfixexpr
ifoperand,pushitsvalue;
ifoperator
popoperand2;
popoperand1;
result=operand1operatoroperand2;
pushresult;
valueattopofstackisresultofexpression;

Considertheexample
Infix:2*(3+4)
Postfix:234+*

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

PostfixExpressionEvaluation

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

PostfixExpressionEvaluation

Postfix:abc/de+f*Infix:((ab)/c)*((d+e)f

chactionstack
apusha
bpushab
popop2a
popop1
calc&pushab
cpushabc
/popop2ab
popop1
calc&push(ab)/c
dpush(ab)/cd
epush(ab)/cde
+popop2(ab)/cd
popop1(ab)/c
calc&push(ab)/c(d+e)
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chactionstack
fpush(ab)/c(d+e)f
popop2(ab)/c(d+e)
popop1(ab)/c
calc&push(ab)/c(d+e)f
*popop2(ab)/c
popop1
calc&push((ab)/c)*((d+e)f)

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

InfixtoPostfixConversion

Assertionsaboutthealgorithm
Operandsneverchangeorder,infix postfix
Operandscanthusbewrittentothedeveloping
postfixstringassoonastheyareread
Operators,incontrast,movetotherightand
changeordertoreflectcalculationorder
Moveright:tofollowthetwooperands
Changeorder:duetooperatorprecedence
rulesandgroupingbyparentheses
Algorithmrequiresadatastructuretoholdasetof
pendingoperatorsuntilweknowtheycanbe
emittedintherightpositionwithinthepostfixstring

EECS268

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

InfixtoPostfixConversion

Pendingoperatorsetcontentsshouldbeordered
fromlowesttohighestprecedence,withthehighest
precedencebeingtheoneweworkwith
Stackisgoodforthat,ifwefollowtherightpush
andpopruleswhenanoperatorisencounteredin
readingtheinfixtokenstream
1)ifthestackisemptyorifthenewoperatoris
higherprecedencethanthatontopofthestack
thenpushthenewoperator
2)Otherwisepopoperatorsandappendthemtothe
growingpostfixstringuntilcondition(1)applies
Hardtorealizeitwillwork,buteasytospecifyasan
algorithm

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InfixtoPostfixConversion
createanemptypostfixstring;
whileoperatorstacknotempty{
createanemptyoperatorstack;
popoperator
while(nextsymbolSfrominfix!=NULL){
appendtopostfixstring
ifSisanoperandthen
}
appendStopostfixstring
elseifS==(then
pushS
elseifS==)then
popandappendoperators
untilmatching(found
else{
//mustbesomeotheroperator
while(operatorstacknotemptyAND
precedence(tos)>=precedence(S)AND
tos!=()
popoperator&appendtopostfixstring
pushS
}
}
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InfixtoPostfixConversion

Converta(b+c*d)/etopostfixform

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PostfixExpressionEvaluation

Convert(ab)/c*(d+ef/g)

chactionopstackPostfix
(push(
aoutput(a
push(a
boutput(ab
chactionopstackPostfix
)popto(ab
(push*(abc/
/push/ab
doutput*(abc/d
coutput/abc +push*(+abc/d
*popabc/ eoutput*(+abc/de
push*
pop*(abc/de+
push*(abc/de+
foutput*(abc/de+f
/push*(/abc/de+f
goutput*(/abc/de+fg
)popto(*abc/de+fg/
popuntilemptystackabc/de+fg/*
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PrefixEvaluation

Reverseprefixandevaluateit
reversegivenprefixexpression;
scanthereversedprefixexpression;
foreachsymbolinreversedprefix
ifoperandthen
pushitsvalueontostackS;
ifoperatorthen{
popoperand1;
popoperand2;
computeresult=operand1opoperand2;
pushresultbackontostackS;
}
returnvalueattopofstack;

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PrefixEvaluationExample

Prefix:*/abc+defReversed:fed+cba/*
chactionstack
fpushf
epushfe
dpushfed
+popop1fe
popop2f
calc&pushf(d+e)
popop1f
popop2
calc&push((d+e)f)
cpush((d+e)f)c
bpush((d+e)f)cb
apush((d+e)f)cba
popop1((d+e)f)cb
popop2((d+e)f)c
calc&push((d+e)f)c(ab)

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chactionstack
/popop1((d+e)f)c
popop2((d+e)f)
calc&push((d+e)f)((ab)/c)
*popop1((d+e)f)
popop2
calc&push((ab)/c)*((d+e)f)

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

InfixtoPrefixConversion
reverseagivenlegalinfixstring(RIS);
createemptyreversedprefixstring(RPS);
createemptyoperatorstackS;
foreachsymbolchinRIS{
ifchisanoperand{
appendchtoRPS;
}elseifch==){
pushchonS;
}elseiftop(S)==({
pop&appendopstoRPSuntilmatching)
//discardthetwoparentheses
}else{//chmustbesomeotheroperator
while(SnotemptyAND
prec(top(S))>prec(ch)AND
top(S)!=)){
popop;
appendoptoRPS;
}
pushS
}
}
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while(!empty(S)){
popopfromS;
appendoptoRPS;
}
reverseRPS;
outputPrefixString

Dr.DouglasNiehaus20082011

InfixtoPrefixConversionExample

Infix:(ab)/c*(d+ef/g)Reversed:)g/fe+d(*c/)ba(

chactionopstackRPS
)push)
goutput)g
/push)/g
foutput)/gf
pop&out)gf/
push)gf/
eoutput)gf/e
+push)+gf/e
doutput)+gf/ed
(popuntil)gf/ed+
*push*gf/ed+

chactionopstackRPS
coutput*gf/ed+c
/push*/gf/ed+c
)push*/)gf/ed+c
boutput*/)gf/ed+cb
push*/)gf/ed+cb
aoutput*/)gf/ed+cba
(popuntil)*/gf/ed+cba
popuntilemptystackgf/ed+cba/*

Prefix:*/abc+de/fg

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Summary

Varioususesifstacksconnectedtoparsingalgebraic
expressionsandevaluatingthem
Unlikelytobesomethingyouwriteasfreshcodeas
manylibrariesexistfordoingexpressionevaluation
andtheproblemcanbeapproachedinotherways
Butpossible
Goodpracticeforimaginingandtracingactionsof
codeusingstacks

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