CSE322

PUMPING LEMMA FOR REGULAR SETS

AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Lecture #11
Non-regular languages n n
{a b : n  0}
R
{vv : v {a, b}*}
Regular languages
a *b b*c  a
b  c ( a  b) *
etc...
2
How can we prove that a language L
is not regular?

Prove that there is no DFA that accepts L

Problem: this is not easy to prove

Solution: the Pumping Lemma !!!

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The Pigeonhole Principle

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 4 pigeons

3 pigeonholes

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A pigeonhole must
contain at least two pigeons

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 n pigeons

...........

m pigeonholes nm

...........

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 The Pigeonhole Principle

n pigeons
m pigeonholes
There is a pigeonhole
nm with at least 2 pigeons

...........

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The Pigeonhole Principle

and

DFAs

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 DFA with 4 states

b
b b

a b b
q1 q2 q3 q4
a a
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In walks of strings: a
aa no state
is repeated
aab

b
b b

a a b
q1 q2 q3 q4
a a
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In walks of strings: aabb
a state
bbaa is repeated
abbabb
abbbabbabb... b
b b

a a b
q1 q2 q3 q4
a a
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If string w has length | w |  4 :
Then the transitions of string w
are more than the states of the DFA
Thus, a state must be repeated
b
b b

a a b
q1 q2 q3 q4
a a
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 In general, for any DFA:

String w has length  number of states

A state q must be repeated in the walk of w

walk of w
...... q ......
Repeated state 14
In other words for a string w:

a transitions are pigeons

q states are pigeonholes

walk of w
...... q ......
Repeated state
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The Pumping Lemma

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Take an infinite regular language L

There exists a DFA that accepts L

m
states

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Take string w with w L

There is a walk with label w:

.........
walk w
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If string w has length | w |  m (number
of states
of DFA)
then, from the pigeonhole principle:

a state is repeated in the walk w

...... q ......
walk w
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Let q be the first state repeated in the
walk of w

...... q ......
walk w
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Write w x y z

...... q ......

x z 21
Observations:

length | x y |  m number
of states
length | y | 1 y of DFA

...... q ......

x z 22
Observation:

The string xz
is accepted
y

...... q ......

x z 23
Observation:

The string xyyz

is accepted
y

...... q ......

x z 24
Observation:

The string xyyyz

is accepted
y

...... q ......

x z 25
In General:
i
The string xy z
is accepted i  0, 1, 2, ...
y

...... q ......

x z 26
In General: x yi z ∈ L

i  0, 1, 2, ...
Language accepted by the DFA

...... q ......

x z 27
In other words, we described:

The Pumping Lemma !!!

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 The Pumping Lemma:
• Given a infinite regular language L
• there exists an integer m

• for any string w L with length | w |  m

• we can write w x y z

• with | x y |  m and | y |  1
i i  0, 1, 2, ...
• such that: xy z  L
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If we select a string w such that
w∈L, and w=xyz. Which of the
following portions cannot be an
empty string?
a) x
b) y
c) z
d) all of the mentioned

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 Applications

of

the Pumping Lemma

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 n n
Theorem: The language L  {a b : n  0}

is not regular

Proof: Use the Pumping Lemma

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 n n
L  {a b : n  0}

Assume for contradiction

that L is a regular language

Since L is infinite
we can apply the Pumping Lemma

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 n n
L  {a b : n  0}

Let m be the integer in the Pumping Lemma

Pick a string w such that: w  L

length | w| m

m m
We pick wa b
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 m m
Write: a b xyz

From the Pumping Lemma

it must be that length | x y |  m, | y | 1
m m
m m
xyz  a b  a...aa...aa...ab...b
x y z
k
Thus: y  a , k 1
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 m m k
x y za b y  a , k 1
i
From the Pumping Lemma: xy z  L
i  0, 1, 2, ...

2
Thus: xy z  L

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 m m k
x y za b y  a , k 1
2
From the Pumping Lemma: x y z  L

mk m
2
xy z  a...aa...aa...aa...ab...b  L
x y y z

m k m
Thus: a b L
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 m k m k≥ 1
a b L

n n
BUT: L  {a b : n  0}

m k m
a b L

CONTRADICTION!!!
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Therefore: Our assumption that L
is a regular language is not true

Conclusion: L is not a regular language

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 n n
Non-regular languages {a b : n  0}

Regular languages

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There exists a language L. We
define a string w such that
w∈L and w=xyz and |w| >=n for
some constant integer n.What
can be the maximum length of
the substring xy i.e. |xy|<=?
a) n
b) |y|
c) |x|
d) none of the mentioned
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More Applications

of

the Pumping Lemma

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 The Pumping Lemma:
• Given a infinite regular language L
• there exists an integer m

• for any string w L with length | w |  m

• we can write w x y z

• with | x y |  m and | y |  1
i i  0, 1, 2, ...
• such that: xy z  L
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Non-regular languages R
L  {vv : v  *}

Regular languages

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Theorem: The language
R
L  {vv : v  *}   {a, b}
is not regular

Proof: Use the Pumping Lemma

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 R
L  {vv : v  *}
Assume for contradiction
that L is a regular language

Since L is infinite
we can apply the Pumping Lemma

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 R
L  {vv : v  *}

Let m be the integer in the Pumping Lemma

Pick a string w such that: w  L and

length | w| m

m m m m
We pick wa b b a
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 m m m m
Write a b b a  x y z
From the Pumping Lemma
it must be that length | x y |  m, | y | 1

m m m m
xyz  a...aa...a...ab...bb...ba...a
x y z
k
Thus: y  a , k 1
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 m m m m
x y za b b a k
y  a , k 1
i
From the Pumping Lemma: xy z  L
i  0, 1, 2, ...

2
Thus: xy z  L
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 m m m m k
x y za b b a y  a , k 1
2
From the Pumping Lemma: x y z  L
m+k m m m
2
xy z = a...aa...aa...a...ab...bb...ba...a ∈ L
x y y z

m k m m m
Thus: a b b a L
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 m k m m m
a b b a L k 1

R
BUT: L  {vv : v  *}

m k m m m
a b b a L

CONTRADICTION!!!
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Therefore: Our assumption that L
is a regular language is not true

Conclusion: L is not a regular language

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Relate the following statement:
Statement: All sufficiently long words in a regular language can have a middle section
of words repeated a number of times to produce a new word which also lies within the
same language.

a) Turing Machine
b) Pumping Lemma
c) Arden’s theorem
d) None of the mentioned

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Non-regular languages

n l n l
L  {a b c : n, l  0}

Regular languages

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Theorem: The language
n l n l
L  {a b c : n, l  0}
is not regular

Proof: Use the Pumping Lemma

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 n l n l
L  {a b c : n, l  0}

Assume for contradiction

that L is a regular language

Since L is infinite
we can apply the Pumping Lemma

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 n l n l
L  {a b c : n, l  0}

Let m be the integer in the Pumping Lemma

Pick a string w such that: w  L and

length | w| m

m m 2m
We pick wa b c
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 m m 2m
Write a b c xyz

From the Pumping Lemma

it must be that length | x y |  m, | y | 1

m m 2m
xyz  a...aa...aa...ab...bc...cc...c
x y z
k
Thus: y  a , k 1
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 m m 2m k
x y za b c y  a , k 1

i
From the Pumping Lemma: xy z  L
i  0, 1, 2, ...

0
Thus: x y z = xz ∈ L

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 m m 2m k
x y za b c y  a , k 1

From the Pumping Lemma: xz  L

mk m 2m
xz  a...aa...ab...bc...cc...c  L
x z

mk m 2m
Thus: a b c L
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 mk m 2m
a b c L k 1

n l n l
BUT: L  {a b c : n, l  0}

mk m 2m
a b c L

CONTRADICTION!!!
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Therefore: Our assumption that L
is a regular language is not true

Conclusion: L is not a regular language

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While applying Pumping lemma over a language, we consider a string w
that belong to L and fragment it into _________ parts.

a)2
b)5
c)3
d)6

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 n!
Non-regular languages L  {a : n  0}

Regular languages

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Theorem: The language
n!
L  {a : n  0} is not regular

n!  1  2  (n  1)  n

Proof: Use the Pumping Lemma

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 n!
L  {a : n  0}
Assume for contradiction
that L is a regular language

Since L is infinite
we can apply the Pumping Lemma

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 n!
L  {a : n  0}

Let m be the integer in the Pumping Lemma

Pick a string w such that: w  L

length | w| m

m!
We pick wa
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 m!
Write a xyz

From the Pumping Lemma

it must be that length | x y |  m, | y | 1
m m! m
m!
xyz  a  a...aa...aa...aa...aa...a
x y z
k
Thus: y  a , 1 k  m
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 m! k
x y za y  a , 1 k  m

i
From the Pumping Lemma: xy z  L
i  0, 1, 2, ...

2
Thus: xy z  L

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 m! k
x y za y  a , 1 k  m
2
From the Pumping Lemma: x y z  L

mk m! m
2
xy z  a...aa...aa...aa...aa...aa...a  L
x y y z

m! k
Thus: a L
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 m! k
a L 1 k  m
Since: n!
L  {a : n  0}

There must exist p such that:

m! k  p!

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However: m! k  m! m
for m  1  m! m!
 m!m  m!
 m!(m  1)
 (m  1)!

m! k  (m  1)!

m! k  p! for any p

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 m! k
a L 1 k  m

n!
BUT: L  {a : n  0}

m! k
a L

CONTRADICTION!!!
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Therefore: Our assumption that L
is a regular language is not true

Conclusion: L is not a regular language

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