  
  [1X4 Automata [13Xversus[1X rational expressions[0X
  
  A  remarkable theorem due to Kleene shows that a language is recognized by a
  finite  automaton  precisely  when  it  may  be given by means of a rational
  expression, i.e. is a rational language.
  
  An  automaton  and a rational expression are said to be [13Xequivalent[0m when both
  represent  the  same  language.  In this chapter we describe functions to go
  from automata to equivalent rational expressions and [13Xvice-versa[0m.
  
  
  [1X4.1 From automata to rational expressions[0X
  
  [1X4.1-1 AutomatonToRatExp [0m
  
  [2X> AutomatonToRatExp ( [0X[3XA[0X[2X ) __________________________________________[0Xfunction
  [2X> AutToRatExp( [0X[3XA[0X[2X ) _________________________________________________[0Xfunction
  [2X> FAtoRatExp( [0X[3XA[0X[2X ) __________________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  From  a  finite  automaton,  [10XFAtoRatExp[0m,  [10XAutToRatExp[0m and [10XAutomatonToRatExp[0m,
  which  are  synonyms,  compute one equivalent rational expression, using the
  state elimination algorithm.
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> x:=Automaton("det",4,2,[[ 0, 1, 2, 3 ],[ 0, 1, 2, 3 ]],[ 3 ],[ 1, 3, 4 ]);;[0X
    [4Xgap> FAtoRatExp(x);[0X
    [4X(aUb)(aUb)U@[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  
  [1X4.2 From rational expression to automata[0X
  
  [1X4.2-1 RatExpToNDAut[0m
  
  [2X> RatExpToNDAut( [0X[3XR[0X[2X ) _______________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  Given a rational expression [3XR[0m, computes the equivalent NFA
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RationalExpression("aUab");[0X
    [4XaUab[0X
    [4Xgap> Display(RatExpToNDAut(r));[0X
    [4X   |  1    2       3    4[0X
    [4X--------------------------------[0X
    [4X a |                   [ 1, 2 ][0X
    [4X b |      [ 3 ][0X
    [4XInitial state:    [ 4 ][0X
    [4XAccepting states: [ 1, 3 ][0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  [1X4.2-2 RatExpToAutomaton[0m
  
  [2X> RatExpToAutomaton( [0X[3XR[0X[2X ) ___________________________________________[0Xfunction
  [2X> RatExpToAut( [0X[3XR[0X[2X ) _________________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  Given  a  rational  expression  [3XR[0m,  these functions, which are synonyms, use
  [2XRatExpToNDAut[0m  ([14X4.2-1[0m))  to  compute the equivalent NFA and then returns the
  equivalent minimal DFA
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RationalExpression("@U(aUb)(aUb)");[0X
    [4X@U(aUb)(aUb)[0X
    [4Xgap> Display(RatExpToAut(r));[0X
    [4X   |  1  2  3  4[0X
    [4X-----------------[0X
    [4X a |  3  1  3  2[0X
    [4X b |  3  1  3  2[0X
    [4XInitial state:    [ 4 ][0X
    [4XAccepting states: [ 1, 4 ][0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  
  [1X4.3 Some tests on automata[0X
  
  This  section  describes  functions that perform tests on automata, rational
  expressions and their accepted languages.
  
  [1X4.3-1 IsEmptyLang[0m
  
  [2X> IsEmptyLang( [0X[3XR[0X[2X ) _________________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  This  function  tests if the language given through a rational expression or
  an automaton [3X R [0m is the empty language.
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RandomRatExp(2);[0X
    [4Xempty_set[0X
    [4Xgap> IsEmptyLang(r);[0X
    [4Xtrue[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RandomRatExp(2);[0X
    [4XaUb[0X
    [4Xgap> IsEmptyLang(r);[0X
    [4Xfalse[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  [1X4.3-2 IsFullLang[0m
  
  [2X> IsFullLang( [0X[3XR[0X[2X ) __________________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  This  function  tests if the language given through a rational expression or
  an automaton [3X R [0m represents the Kleene closure of the alphabet of [3X R [0m .
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RationalExpression("aUb");[0X
    [4XaUb[0X
    [4Xgap> IsFullLang(r);[0X
    [4Xfalse[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RationalExpression("(aUb)*");[0X
    [4X(aUb)*[0X
    [4Xgap> IsFullLang(r);[0X
    [4Xtrue[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  [1X4.3-3 AreEqualLang[0m
  
  [2X> AreEqualLang( [0X[3XA1, A2[0X[2X ) ___________________________________________[0Xfunction
  [2X> AreEquivAut( [0X[3XA1A2[0X[2X ) ______________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  These  functions,  which  are  synonyms,  test  if  the automata or rational
  expressions [3XA1[0m and [3XA2[0m are equivalent, i.e. represent the same language. This
  is  performed  by  checking  that  the  corresponding  minimal  automata are
  isomorphic.
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> y:=RandomAutomaton("det",4,2);;[0X
    [4Xgap> x:=RandomAutomaton("det",4,2);;[0X
    [4Xgap> AreEquivAut(x, y);[0X
    [4Xfalse[0X
    [4Xgap> a:=RationalExpression("(aUb)*ab*");[0X
    [4X(aUb)*ab*[0X
    [4Xgap> b:=RationalExpression("(aUb)*");[0X
    [4X(aUb)*[0X
    [4Xgap> AreEqualLang(a, b);[0X
    [4Xfalse[0X
    [4Xgap> a:=RationalExpression("(bUa)*");[0X
    [4X(bUa)*[0X
    [4Xgap> AreEqualLang(a, b);[0X
    [4Xtrue[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  [1X4.3-4 IsContainedLang[0m
  
  [2X> IsContainedLang( [0X[3XR1, R2[0X[2X ) ________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  Tests  if  the  language  represented  (through  an  automaton or a rational
  expression)  by  [3X  R1  [0m is contained in the language represented (through an
  automaton or a rational expression) by [3X R2 [0m .
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RationalExpression("aUab");[0X
    [4XaUab[0X
    [4Xgap> s:=RationalExpression("a","ab");[0X
    [4Xa[0X
    [4Xgap> IsContainedLang(s,r);[0X
    [4Xtrue[0X
    [4Xgap> IsContainedLang(r,s);[0X
    [4Xfalse[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  [1X4.3-5 AreDisjointLang[0m
  
  [2X> AreDisjointLang( [0X[3XR1, R2[0X[2X ) ________________________________________[0Xfunction
  
  Tests   if  the  languages  represented  (through  automata  or  a  rational
  expressions) by [3X R1 [0m and [3X R2 [0m are disjoint.
  
  [4X---------------------------  Example  ----------------------------[0X
    [4Xgap> r:=RationalExpression("aUab");;[0X
    [4Xgap> s:=RationalExpression("a","ab");;[0X
    [4Xgap> AreDisjointLang(r,s);[0X
    [4Xfalse[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
