Hawassa University Daye

Campus
Department of Computer
Automata and complexity
Science
theory

Course code: CoSc3071

By: Mekonen M.
1
Chapter Two
Unit 5
Pushdown Automata
Introduction

Chomsky Hierarchy in Theory of Computation

01
Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 3 – Regular Expression 3
Why Pushdown Automata?
Exercise
• Draw Finite automata for language
b
Not
Possible??

• FA have limited capability.

• This is due to the "finite memory” and "no external memory" involved
with FA.

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 4

Pushdown Automata
• A pushdown Automata is essentially a finite Automata with a stack data structure.

Finite
Stack Accept | Reject
Input Control

Input tape

Stack

• A PDA can write an unbounded no. of symbols on the stack and read these
symbols later.
• Writing a symbol on to the stack is called “PUSH” operation.
• Removing a symbol off the stack is called “POP” operation.

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Pushdown Automata components
• A pushdown Automata is essentially a finite Automata with a stack data structure.

Finite
Stack Accept | Reject
Input Control
Input tape

Stack

• Input tape: The input tape is divided in many cells or symbols. The input head is read-only and
may only move from left to right, one symbol at a time.
• Finite control: The finite control has some pointer which points the current symbol which is to be
read.
• Stack: The stack is a structure in which we can push and pop the items from one end only. It has
an infinite size. In PDA, the stack is used to store the items temporarily.

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Definition of PDA
• A pushdown Automata(PDA) is a 7-tuple , where
is finite set of states
and are finite sets of i/p symbol
is stack alphabet
the initial state, is an element of Q
the initial stack symbol, is an element of
is a set of accepting states, is a subset of Q
the set of finite subsets of
The function is called transition function of .

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• δ takes as arguments a triple δ(q, a, X) where
I. q is a State in Q
II. a is either an input symbol in Σ or a = ϵ
III. X is a Stack Symbol, that is a member of Γ
• The output of δ is finite set of pairs (p, γ) where
I. P is a new state
II. γ is a string of stack symbols that replace X at the top of the stack
• Example: if γ = ϵ then the stack is popped
• if γ = X then the stack is Unchanged
• if γ = YZ then X is replaced by Z and Y is pushed onto the stack

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Acceptance by PDA
• There are two different ways to define PDA acceptability.
• If is a PDA and , is accepted by if

for some and some . A language is said to be accepted by if L is

precisely the set of strings accepted by , in this case, we write .
1. If = - L acceptance by final state
2. If = - L is acceptance by final state

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Deterministic PDA
• Let be a pushdown Automata. is deterministic if there is no
configuration for which has a choice of more than one move. In other
words is deterministic if it satisfies the following conditions:
1. For any and , the set has at most one element.
A language L is a deterministic context free language (DCFL) if there is
deterministic PDA accepting L.

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Applications of PDA
• A pushdown automata is a way to implement a context free grammar.
• PDA is used in parser design for syntactic analysis.

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 𝒂
Design DPDA for L={a b |a,b ∈ Ʃ, n≥0} n n 𝒂
𝒂
anbn If n=3 then a 3 b3 = a a a b b b

𝒃
𝒃
𝒃
𝒛𝟎
Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 12
How to Represent PDA?
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

a, z0|az0 Input symbol, stack symbol | PUSH/POP

𝑞0 𝑞1
b, a |
FIRST 2 SYMBOLS
^
OF THE STACK

a, a | aa

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 13

Design DPDA for L={anbn|a,b ∈ Ʃ, n≥0}
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

a, z0|az0 b, a |

𝑞1
,z0 | z0
𝑞0
b, a |
𝑞2
a, a | aa ,z0 | z0
Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 14
Design DPDA for L={anbn|a,b ∈ Ʃ, n≥0}
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

a, z0|az0 b, a |

𝑞1
,z0 | z0
𝑞0
b, a |
𝑞2
a, a | aa ,z0 | z0
Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 15
Design PDA for palindrome with middle symbol c 𝒂
𝒃
𝒂
a b a ca b a

𝒂
𝒃
𝒂
𝒛𝟎
Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 16
Design PDA for palindrome with middle symbol c
• Design a PDA for following CFG.
SaSa/bSb/c
• Design PDA for L={xcxr/x∈{a,b}*}. The string in L are odd length palindromes
over {a,b}
• Strings accepted in the language are:
1.aba c aba
2.aaa c aaa
3.bab c bab
4.ab c ba

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 17

Design PDA for palindrome with middle symbol c
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

b, z0|bz0
a, z0|az0 a, a | aa

𝑞0
b, b | bb b, a | ba
a, b | ab

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 18

Design PDA for palindrome with middle symbol c
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

b, z0|bz0
a, z0|az0 a, a | aa c,a | a

𝑞1
c,b | b
𝑞0 c,z0 | z0

b, b | bb b, a | ba
a, b | ab

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 19

Design PDA for palindrome with middle symbol c
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

b, z0|bz0 b, b |
a, z0|az0 a, a | aa
c,a | a

𝑞0 c,b | b

c,z0 | z0
𝑞1 ,z0 | z0
𝑞2
b, b | bb b, a | ba
a, b | ab a, a |

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 20

Instantaneous Description (ID)
• ID is an informal notation of how a PDA computes an input string and
make a decision that string is accepted or rejected.

• An instantaneous description is a triple (q, w, α) where:

• q describes the current state.
• w describes the remaining input.
• α describes the stack contents, top at the left.

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Turnstile Notation (⊢)
• ⊢ sign describes the turnstile notation and represents one move.
• ⊢* sign describes a sequence of moves.

• For example: (p, b, T) ⊢ (q, w, α)

• In the above example, while taking a transition from state p to q, the

input symbol 'b' is consumed, and the top of the stack 'T' is
represented by a new string α.

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 22

Instantaneous Description (ID) for abcba
b, z0|bz0 b, b |
(, , ) ⊢ (, , )
a, z0|az0 a, a | aa
c,a | a ⊢ (, , )

𝑞0 c,b | b

c,z0 | z0
𝑞1 ,z0 | z0
𝑞2 ⊢ (, , )
⊢ (, , )
b, b | bb b, a | ba ⊢ (,, )
a, b | ab a, a |
⊢ (,, )
Move No Resulting State Unread Input Stack

𝒒
𝑞𝟐2

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 23

Design DPDA for same no. of a’s & b’s
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

a, z0|az0
a, b| b, z0|bz0
b, a|
𝑞0 𝑞1
,z0 | z0

a, a | aa
b, b | bb

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 24

Design PDA for {anbn+m cm | n,m>=1}
an bn+m cm = an bn bm cm

If n=2 and m=3 then

= a 2 b2 b3 c 3
= aa bb bbb ccc

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 25

Design PDA for {anbn+m cm | n,m>=1}
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

a,a,a|a|aa b, a| b, b| bb
aa

b, z0| bz0
𝑞0
a, z00| az0.0
𝑞1
b, a|
𝑞2 𝑞3

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 26

Design PDA for {anbn+m cm | n,m>=1}
Move No State Input Stack Symbol Move(s)

a, a| aa b, a| b, b| bb c, b|

𝑞4
b, z0| bz0
𝑞3
c, b|
𝑞0
a, z0| az0
𝑞1
b, a|
𝑞2
, z0| z0

𝑞5
Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 27
Exercise: Design PDA
1. Design PDA for anbncmdm , n,m>=1
2. Design PDA for anbmcmdn , n,m>=1
3. Design PDA for an+mbncm , n,m>=1

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CFG to PDA
Steps to convert CFG to PDA
• From given CFG G=(V,Σ,S,P), we can construct a PDA.
• The PDA’s δ is given by :
1. For each non terminal A, include a transition
Include a transition δ(q, 𝜖, A){(q, α)|A α is a production in G}
2. For each terminal a, include a transition
Include a transition δ(q, a, a){(q, 𝜖)}

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Example: CFG to PDA
Find PDA for following grammar:
S0S1 | 0 | 1
The equivalent PDA, M is given by:
δ(q, 𝜖, A){(q, α)|A α is a production in G Non Terminal
δ(q, 𝜖, S)= {(q, 0S1), (q, 00), (q,11)}

δ(q, a, a){(q, 𝜖)}

δ(q, 0, 0)={(q, 𝜖)} Terminal
δ(q, 1, 1)={(q, 𝜖)}

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Exercise: CFG to PDA
1. Given a CFG , G =( {S,A,B},{0,1},P,S) with P as follows:
S  0B| 1A
A  0S|1AA|0
B  1S| 0BB | 1
2. Design a PDA M corresponding to CFG:
I  a | b | Ia | Ib | I0 | I1
E  I | E * E | E + E | (E)

Mekonen M. # CoSc3071  Unit 5 – Pushdown Automata 32