Decision Problems For Convex Languages

In this paper we examine decision problems associated with various classes of convex languages, studied by Ang and Brzozowski (under the name "continuous languages"). We show that we can decide whether a given language L is prefix-, suffix-, factor-, or subword-convex in polynomial time if L is represented by a DFA, but that the problem is PSPACE-hard if L is represented by an NFA. In the case that a regular language is not convex, we prove tight upper bounds on the length of the shortest words demonstrating this fact, in terms of the number of states of an accepting DFA. Similar results are proved for some subclasses of convex languages: the prefix-, suffix-, factor-, and subword-closed languages, and the prefix-, suffix-, factor-, and subword-free languages.Comment: preliminary version. This version corrected one typo in Section 2.1.1, line

Simulations of Weighted Tree Automata

Simulations of weighted tree automata (wta) are considered. It is shown how such simulations can be decomposed into simpler functional and dual functional simulations also called forward and backward simulations. In addition, it is shown in several cases (fields, commutative rings, Noetherian semirings, semiring of natural numbers) that all equivalent wta M and N can be joined by a finite chain of simulations. More precisely, in all mentioned cases there exists a single wta that simulates both M and N. Those results immediately yield decidability of equivalence provided that the semiring is finitely (and effectively) presented.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Building Phylogeny with Minimal Absent Words

International audienc

Strongly transitive automata and the Černý conjecture

The synchronization problem is investigated for a new class of deterministic automata called strongly transitive. An extension to unambiguous automata is also considered

On the equivalence of Z-automata

We prove that two automata with multiplicity in Z are equivalent, i.e. define the same rational series, if and only if there is a sequence of Z-coverings, co-Z-coverings, and circulations of –1, which transforms one automaton into the other. Moreover, the construction of these transformations is effective. This is obtained by combining two results: the first one relates coverings to conjugacy of automata, and is modeled after a theorem from symbolic dynamics; the second one is an adaptation of Schützenberger's reduction algorithm of representations in a field to representations in an Euclidean domain (and thus in Z)