Extended finite automata over groups

We consider a simple and natural extension of a finite automaton, namely an element of a given group is associated with each configuration. An input string is accepted if and only if the neutral element of the group is associated to a final configuration reached by the automaton. The accepting power is smaller when abelian groups are considered, in comparison with the non-abelian groups. We prove that this is due to the commutativity. Each language accepted by a finite automaton over an abelian group is actually a unordered vector language. We get a new characterization of the context-free languages as soon as the considered group is the binary free group. The result cannot be carried out in the deterministic case. Some remarks about other groups are also presented

On the Degree of Extension of Some Models Defining Non-Regular Languages

This work is a survey of the main results reported for the degree of extension of two models defining non-regular languages, namely the context-free grammar and the extended automaton over groups. More precisely, we recall the main results regarding the degree on non-regularity of a context-free grammar as well as the degree of extension of finite automata over groups. Finally, we consider a similar measure for the finite automata with translucent letters and present some preliminary results. This measure could be considered for many mechanisms that extend a less expressive one.Comment: In Proceedings AFL 2023, arXiv:2309.0112

Generalized Results on Monoids as Memory

We show that some results from the theory of group automata and monoid automata still hold for more general classes of monoids and models. Extending previous work for finite automata over commutative groups, we demonstrate a context-free language that can not be recognized by any rational monoid automaton over a finitely generated permutable monoid. We show that the class of languages recognized by rational monoid automata over finitely generated completely simple or completely 0-simple permutable monoids is a semi-linear full trio. Furthermore, we investigate valence pushdown automata, and prove that they are only as powerful as (finite) valence automata. We observe that certain results proven for monoid automata can be easily lifted to the case of context-free valence grammars.Comment: In Proceedings AFL 2017, arXiv:1708.0622

Automaton Semigroups and Groups: On the Undecidability of Problems Related to Freeness and Finiteness

In this paper, we study algorithmic problems for automaton semigroups and automaton groups related to freeness and finiteness. In the course of this study, we also exhibit some connections between the algebraic structure of automaton (semi)groups and their dynamics on the boundary. First, we show that it is undecidable to check whether the group generated by a given invertible automaton has a positive relation, i.e. a relation p = 1 such that p only contains positive generators. Besides its obvious relation to the freeness of the group, the absence of positive relations has previously been studied and is connected to the triviality of some stabilizers of the boundary. We show that the emptiness of the set of positive relations is equivalent to the dynamical property that all (directed positive) orbital graphs centered at non-singular points are acyclic. Gillibert showed that the finiteness problem for automaton semigroups is undecidable. In the second part of the paper, we show that this undecidability result also holds if the input is restricted to be bi-reversible and invertible (but, in general, not complete). As an immediate consequence, we obtain that the finiteness problem for automaton subsemigroups of semigroups generated by invertible, yet partial automata, so called automaton-inverse semigroups, is also undecidable. Erratum: Contrary to a statement in a previous version of the paper, our approach does not show that that the freeness problem for automaton semigroups is undecidable. We discuss this in an erratum at the end of the paper