An in-between "implicit" and "explicit" complexity: Automata

Implicit Computational Complexity makes two aspects implicit, by manipulating programming languages rather than models of com-putation, and by internalizing the bounds rather than using external measure. We survey how automata theory contributed to complexity with a machine-dependant with implicit bounds model

Reachability in Higher-Order-Counters

Higher-order counter automata (\HOCS) can be either seen as a restriction of higher-order pushdown automata (\HOPS) to a unary stack alphabet, or as an extension of counter automata to higher levels. We distinguish two principal kinds of \HOCS: those that can test whether the topmost counter value is zero and those which cannot. We show that control-state reachability for level $k$ \HOCS with $0$-test is complete for \mbox{$(k-2)$}-fold exponential space; leaving out the $0$-test leads to completeness for \mbox{$(k-2)$}-fold exponential time. Restricting \HOCS (without $0$-test) to level $2$, we prove that global (forward or backward) reachability analysis is \PTIME-complete. This enhances the known result for pushdown systems which are subsumed by level $2$ \HOCS without $0$-test. We transfer our results to the formal language setting. Assuming that \PTIME \subsetneq \PSPACE \subsetneq \mathbf{EXPTIME}, we apply proof ideas of Engelfriet and conclude that the hierarchies of languages of \HOPS and of \HOCS form strictly interleaving hierarchies. Interestingly, Engelfriet's constructions also allow to conclude immediately that the hierarchy of collapsible pushdown languages is strict level-by-level due to the existing complexity results for reachability on collapsible pushdown graphs. This answers an open question independently asked by Parys and by Kobayashi.Comment: Version with Full Proofs of a paper that appears at MFCS 201

Restricted Space Algorithms for Isomorphism on Bounded Treewidth Graphs

The Graph Isomorphism problem restricted to graphs of bounded treewidth or bounded tree distance width are known to be solvable in polynomial time [Bod90],[YBFT99]. We give restricted space algorithms for these problems proving the following results: - Isomorphism for bounded tree distance width graphs is in L and thus complete for the class. We also show that for this kind of graphs a canon can be computed within logspace. - For bounded treewidth graphs, when both input graphs are given together with a tree decomposition, the problem of whether there is an isomorphism which respects the decompositions (i.e. considering only isomorphisms mapping bags in one decomposition blockwise onto bags in the other decomposition) is in L. - For bounded treewidth graphs, when one of the input graphs is given with a tree decomposition the isomorphism problem is in LogCFL. - As a corollary the isomorphism problem for bounded treewidth graphs is in LogCFL. This improves the known TC1 upper bound for the problem given by Grohe and Verbitsky [GroVer06].Comment: STACS conference 2010, 12 page

A Sharp Separation of Sublogarithmic Space Complexity Classes

We present very sharp separation results for Turing machine sublogarithmic space complexity classes which are of the form: For any, arbitrarily slow growing, recursive nondecreasing and unbounded function s there is a k in N and an unary language L such that L in SPACE(s(n)+k) setminus SPACE(s(n-1)). For a binary L the supposition łims = infty is sufficient. The witness languages differ from each language from the lower classes on infinitely many words. We use so called demon (Turing) machines where the tape limit is given automatically without any construction. The results hold for deterministic and nondeterministic demon machines and also for alternating demon machines with a constant number of alternations, and with unlimited number of alternations. The sharpness of the results is ensured by using a very sensitive measure of space complexity of Turing computations which is defined as the amount of the tape required by the simulation (of the computation in question) on a fixed universal machine. As a proof tool we use a succint diagonalization method

Unification and Logarithmic Space

We present an algebraic characterization of the complexity classes Logspace and Nlogspace, using an algebra with a composition law based on unification. This new bridge between unification and complexity classes is rooted in proof theory and more specifically linear logic and geometry of interaction. We show how to build a model of computation in the unification algebra and then, by means of a syntactic representation of finite permutations in the algebra, we prove that whether an observation (the algebraic counterpart of a program) accepts a word can be decided within logarithmic space. Finally, we show that the construction naturally corresponds to pointer machines, a convenient way of understanding logarithmic space computation.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1402.432

Unification and Logarithmic Space: Journal Version

Soumis au numéro spécial de LMCS pour RTA/TLCA 2014 ( http://www.lmcs-online.org/ojs/specialIssues.php?id=67 )We present an algebraic characterization of the complexity classes Logspace and NLogspace, using an algebra with a composition law based on unification. This new bridge between unification and complexity classes is rooted in proof theory and more specifically linear logic and geometry of interaction. We show how to build a model of computation in the unification algebra and then, by means of a syntactic representation of finite permutations in the algebra, we prove that whether an observation (the algebraic counterpart of a program) accepts a word can be decided within logarithmic space. Finally, we show that the construction naturally corresponds to pointer machines, an convenient way of understanding logarithmic space computation

26. Theorietag Automaten und Formale Sprachen 23. Jahrestagung Logik in der Informatik: Tagungsband

Der Theorietag ist die Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Automaten und Formale Sprachen der Gesellschaft für Informatik und fand erstmals 1991 in Magdeburg statt. Seit dem Jahr 1996 wird der Theorietag von einem eintägigen Workshop mit eingeladenen Vorträgen begleitet. Die Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Logik in der Informatik der Gesellschaft für Informatik fand erstmals 1993 in Leipzig statt. Im Laufe beider Jahrestagungen finden auch die jährliche Fachgruppensitzungen statt. In diesem Jahr wird der Theorietag der Fachgruppe Automaten und Formale Sprachen erstmalig zusammen mit der Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Logik in der Informatik abgehalten. Organisiert wurde die gemeinsame Veranstaltung von der Arbeitsgruppe Zuverlässige Systeme des Instituts für Informatik an der Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel vom 4. bis 7. Oktober im Tagungshotel Tannenfelde bei Neumünster. Während des Tre↵ens wird ein Workshop für alle Interessierten statt finden. In Tannenfelde werden • Christoph Löding (Aachen) • Tomás Masopust (Dresden) • Henning Schnoor (Kiel) • Nicole Schweikardt (Berlin) • Georg Zetzsche (Paris) eingeladene Vorträge zu ihrer aktuellen Arbeit halten. Darüber hinaus werden 26 Vorträge von Teilnehmern und Teilnehmerinnen gehalten, 17 auf dem Theorietag Automaten und formale Sprachen und neun auf der Jahrestagung Logik in der Informatik. Der vorliegende Band enthält Kurzfassungen aller Beiträge. Wir danken der Gesellschaft für Informatik, der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel und dem Tagungshotel Tannenfelde für die Unterstützung dieses Theorietags. Ein besonderer Dank geht an das Organisationsteam: Maike Bradler, Philipp Sieweck, Joel Day. Kiel, Oktober 2016 Florin Manea, Dirk Nowotka und Thomas Wilk

Freezing 1-Tag Systems with States

We study 1-tag systems with states obeying the freezing property that only allows constant bounded number of rewrites of symbols. We look at examples of languages accepted by such systems, the accepting power of the model, as well as certain closure properties and decision problems. Finally we discuss a restriction of the system where the working alphabet must match the input alphabet.Comment: In Proceedings AFL 2023, arXiv:2309.0112

Automata with Modulo Counters and Nondeterministic Counter Bounds

We introduce and investigate Nondeterministically Bounded Modulo Counter Automata (NBMCA), which are two-way multi-head automata that comprise a constant number of modulo counters, where the counter bounds are nondeterministically guessed, and this is the only element of nondeterminism. NBMCA are tailored to recognising those languages that are characterised by the existence of a specific factorisation of their words, e. g., pattern languages. In this work, we subject NBMCA to a theoretically sound analysis