Here we consider the problem of minimizing the number of states in a deterministic finite automaton (DFA). The key here is to identify pairs of states that are "distinguishable", in the sense that reading any string from both of them eventually will lead to an accept state in one case, and a non-accept state in the other case. Then we build the definition of distinguishable states recursively. We conclude with two examples of DFAs: one where no states can be removed, and another where multiple states can be removed. Timeline: 0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Goals of the Video 1:04 - Distinguishing States Example 4:07 - Distinguishing Strings Example 7:17 - Distinguishing States Definition 9:40 - DFA Minimization Example 1 15:35 - DFA Minimization Example 2 20:18 - Conclusion Thanks to the following supporters of the channel for helping support this video. If you want to contribute, links are below. Dolev Abuhazira, Josh Hibschman, Micah Wood, Morgan Jones, Patrik Keinonen, Simone Glinz, Tao Su, Timothy Gorden, unit220, Valentine Eben Easy Theory Website: https://www.easytheory.org Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VY6RTXegnoSD_q446oBdg/join Donation (appears on streams): https://streamlabs.com/easytheory1/tip Paypal: https://paypal.me/easytheory Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/easytheory Discord: https://discord.gg/SD4U3hs Merch: Language Hierarchy Apparel: https://teespring.com/language-hierarchy?pid=2&cid=2122 Pumping Lemma Apparel: https://teespring.com/pumping-lemma-for-regular-lang If you like this content, please consider subscribing to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VY6RTXegnoSD_q446oBdg?sub_confirmation=1 ▶SEND ME THEORY QUESTIONS◀ ryan.e.dougherty@icloud.com ▶ABOUT ME◀ I am a professor of Computer Science, and am passionate about CS theory. I have taught many courses at several different universities, including several sections of undergraduate and graduate theory-level classes. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W2lSrt8r-0

Here we do a weekly livestream in creating a textbook for theory of computation. Donation (appears on streams): https://streamlabs.com/easytheory1/tip Paypal: https://paypal.me/easytheory Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/easytheory Discord: https://discord.gg/SD4U3hs #easytheory #gate #theory Youtube Live Streaming (Sundays) - subscribe for when these occur. Social Media: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/easytheory/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/easytheory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EasyTheory Merch: Language Hierarchy Apparel: https://teespring.com/language-hierarchy?pid=2&cid=2122 Pumping Lemma Apparel: https://teespring.com/pumping-lemma-for-regular-lang If you like this content, please consider subscribing to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VY6RTXegnoSD_q446oBdg?sub_confirmation=1 Gold Supporters: Micah Wood Silver Supporters: Timmy Gy ▶SEND ME THEORY QUESTIONS◀ ryan.e.dougherty@icloud.com ▶ABOUT ME◀ I am a professor of Computer Science, and am passionate about CS theory. I have taught many courses at several different universities, including several sections of undergraduate and graduate theory-level classes. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_PDDTAq-JU

Here we look at "quantifiers", which are ways of saying when a statement is true by telling a "range" of when the variable should be used. We have two quantifiers: "forall", and "exists". The first says that the statement is true for all values of the variable (over the given domain), and the second says that it is true for *some* value of the variable. We show how different domains as well as different quantifiers can make a statement true or false. Contribute: Donation (appears on streams): https://streamlabs.com/easytheory1/tip Paypal: https://paypal.me/easytheory Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/easytheory Discord: https://discord.gg/SD4U3hs Youtube Live Streaming (Sundays) - subscribe for when these occur. Merch: Language Hierarchy Apparel: https://teespring.com/language-hierarchy?pid=2&cid=2122 Pumping Lemma Apparel: https://teespring.com/pumping-lemma-for-regular-lang If you like this content, please consider subscribing to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VY6RTXegnoSD_q446oBdg?sub_confirmation=1 Gold Supporters: Micah Wood Silver Supporters: Timmy Gy ▶SEND ME THEORY QUESTIONS◀ ryan.e.dougherty@icloud.com ▶ABOUT ME◀ I am a professor of Computer Science, and am passionate about CS theory. I have taught many courses at several different universities, including several sections of undergraduate and graduate theory-level classes. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCnd54V1NE

Here we show that deciding whether or not a DFA has useless states is decidable. A useless state is one that, when removing it, does not change the language of the machine. This is a useful problem because it allows one to ask whether or not the machine is minimized or not. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/easytheory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/easytheory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EasyTheory If you like this content, please consider subscribing to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VY6RTXegnoSD_q446oBdg?sub_confirmation=1 ▶ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS◀ 1. Can we ask whether or not there is a useless state in an NFA? 2. What about a PDA? ▶SEND ME THEORY QUESTIONS◀ ryan.e.dougherty@icloud.com ▶ABOUT ME◀ I am a professor of Computer Science, and am passionate about CS theory. I have taught over 12 courses at Arizona State University, as well as Colgate University, including several sections of undergraduate theory. ▶ABOUT THIS CHANNEL◀ The theory of computation is perhaps the fundamental theory of computer science. It sets out to define, mathematically, what exactly computation is, what is feasible to solve using a computer, and also what is not possible to solve using a computer. The main objective is to define a computer mathematically, without the reliance on real-world computers, hardware or software, or the plethora of programming languages we have in use today. The notion of a Turing machine serves this purpose and defines what we believe is the crux of all computable functions. This channel is also about weaker forms of computation, concentrating on two classes: regular languages and context-free languages. These two models help understand what we can do with restricted means of computation, and offer a rich theory using which you can hone your mathematical skills in reasoning with simple machines and the languages they define. However, they are not simply there as a weak form of computation--the most attractive aspect of them is that problems formulated on them are tractable, i.e. we can build efficient algorithms to reason with objects such as finite automata, context-free grammars and pushdown automata. For example, we can model a piece of hardware (a circuit) as a finite-state system and solve whether the circuit satisfies a property (like whether it performs addition of 16-bit registers correctly). We can model the syntax of a programming language using a grammar, and build algorithms that check if a string parses according to this grammar. On the other hand, most problems that ask properties about Turing machines are undecidable. This Youtube channel will help you see and prove that several tasks involving Turing machines are unsolvable---i.e., no computer, no software, can solve it. For example, y ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sm0MGYgTSU