School of Computer Engineering,
KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar
Automata Theory and Formal Languages (CS21003)
Session: July-November, 2025
L-T-P-Cr: 3-1-0-4
Course Objective:
• To know about Chomsky hierarchy for organizing languages.
• To introduce concepts in automata theory and theory of computation.
• To identify different formal language classes and their relationships.
• To design grammars and recognizers for different formal languages.
• To understand undecidability and decide on languages that are undecidable.
Course Outcome: At the end of the course, the students will be able to:
CO # Course Outcome
CO1: Acquire a fundamental understanding of the core concepts in automata theory
and formal languages
CO2: Design finite automata or regular expression for any tokenization task
CO3: Construct a context free grammar for parsing any language
CO4: Design Turing machine for any language
CO5: Conclude the decidable / undecidable nature of any language.
CO6: Apply mathematical and formal techniques for solving real-world problems
Syllabus:
Unit I: Finite Automata
Alphabets, Strings and Languages, Automata and Grammars, Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA),
Formal Definition, Simplified notation: State transition graph, Transition table. Language of DFA, Non-
deterministic Finite Automata (NFA), NFA with epsilon transition, Language of NFA, Equivalence of NFA
and DFA, Minimization of Finite Automata, Distinguishing one string from other, Myhill Nerode Theorem.
Unit II: Regular Expression (RE)
Definition, Operators of regular expressions and their precedence, Algebraic laws for Regular expressions,
Kleen’s Theorem, Regular expression to FA, DFA to Regular expression, Arden Theorem, Non Regular
Languages, Pumping Lemma for regular Languages. Application of Pumping Lemma, Closure properties
of Regular Languages, Decision properties of Regular Languages, FA with output: Moore and Mealy
machine, Equivalence of Moore and Mealy Machine, Applications and Limitation of FA.
Unit III: Context Free Grammar (CFG) and Context Free Languages
Definition, Examples, Derivation, Derivation trees, Ambiguity in Grammar, Inherent ambiguity,
Ambiguous to Unambiguous CFG, Useless symbols, Simplification of CFGs, Normal forms for CFGs:
CNF and GNF, Closure properties of CFLs, Decision Properties of CFLs: Emptiness, Finiteness and
Membership, Pumping lemma for CFLs.
Unit IV: Push Down Automata (PDA)
Description and definition, Instantaneous Description, Language of PDA, Acceptance by Final state,
Acceptance by empty stack, Deterministic PDA, Equivalence of acceptance by empty stack and final state,
Conversion of CFG to PDA and PDA to CFG.
Unit V: Turing Machines (TM) and Undecidability
Basic model, definition and representation, Instantaneous Description, Language acceptance by TM,
Variants of Turing Machine, TM as Computer of Integer functions, Universal TM, Church’s Thesis,
Recursive and recursively enumerable languages, Halting problem, Introduction to Undecidability,
Undecidable problems about TMs, Post correspondence problem (PCP), Modified PCP and undecidable
nature of post correspondence problem, Introduction to recursive function theory.
Text Books:
1. Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages and Computations, John E. Hopcroft, Rajeev
Motwani, Jeffery D. Ullman, Pearson Education, 3rd Edition. PDF
Reference Books:
1. An Introduction to Formal Language and Automata, Peter Linz, Jones & Bartlett Publishers,
6th Edition. PDF
2. Elements of The Theory of Computation, Lewis, Harry R. and Christos H. Papadimitriou Prentice-
Hall Englewood, 2nd Edition. PDF
3. Introduction to the Theory of Computation, Michel Sipser, Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2 nd Edition.
PDF
4. Theory of Computer Science by KLP Mishra & N. Chandra Sekharan, PHI, 3 rd Edition. PDF
Online Resources:
1. https://nptel.ac.in/courses/111/103/111103016/: by Dr. K. V. Krishnaand, Dr. D. Goswami, IIT
Guwahati
2. https://nptel.ac.in/courses/106/106/106106049/: by Prof. K. Krithivasan, IIT Madras
3. https://nptel.ac.in/courses/106/105/106105196/: by Prof. S. Mukhopadhyay, IIT Kharagpur
4. https://www.ics.uci.edu/∼goodrich/teach/cs162/notes/: by Prof. M. T. Goodrich, University of
California, Irvine, USA
Grading Policy:
• Assignments/quizzes/Surprise Tests/Activities: 30 Marks
• Mid-semester exam: 20 Marks
• End-semester exam: 50 Marks
School of Computer Engineering,
KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar
Automata Theory and Formal Languages (CS21003)
Session: July-November, 2025
L-T-P-Cr: 3-1-0-4
Day Wise Lesson Plan:
Lecture
Topics
Serial No
PRE MID SEMESTER SESSION (18th July 2025 – 06th September 2025)
MODULE 1:
Introduction to Automata, Why Study Automata Theory, Classification of
1.
Automata and languages, Overview of the Syllabus.
Preliminaries: Set, Symbol, Alphabet, String, Functions and Relations on
2.
Strings, Language, Formal Languages.
3. Description and definition of Deterministic Finite Automata(DFA)
4. DFA with examples (Lect-1)
5. DFA with examples (Lect-2)
6. DFA with examples (Lect-3)
7. DFA with examples (Lect-4)
8. DFA with examples (Lect-5): Design of Compound DFAs
Description and definition of Non- Deterministic Finite Automata(NFA),
9. DFA vs. NFA, Design of NFA Examples
10. Language accepted by DFA, NFA (without epsilon -transitions )
11. Languages accepted by NFAs (with epsilon -transitions)
12. Conversion from NFA without epsilon-transitions to DFA
13. Conversion from NFA with epsilon-transitions to DFA
14. Minimization of DFA
MODULE 2
Description of Regular Expression (RE), Identities of RE (Algebraic Laws for
15. RE)
16. Regular Expression from Regular Languages
17. Conversion from Regular expression to NFA
18. Conversion from DFA to RE using State Elimination Method
19. Closure properties of Regular language (Lect-1)
20. Closure properties of Regular language (Lect-2)
21. Pumping lemma for Regular Language (Lect-1)
22. Proof of a language is regular or not by Pumping Lemma
MODULE 3
23. Description of Regular grammar with examples (Lect-1)
24. Description of Regular grammar with examples (Lect-2)
Conversion between Right Linear Grammar (RLG), Left Linear Grammar (LLG)
25. and FA.
MID SEMESTER EXAM (08th September 2025 – 13th September 2025)
POST MID SEMESTER SESSION (15th September 2025 – 14th November 2025)
26. Context Free Grammar (CFG) and Context Free Languages (CFL)
Find Leftmost Derivation (LMD), Rightmost Derivation (RMD),
27. Derivation Tree of String from a given Grammar
Ambiguous Grammar and checking of a grammar is ambiguous or not, Inherently
28. Ambiguous Grammar and Example
29. Conversion from Ambiguous to Unambiguous Grammar
Conversion from Context free languages (CFL) to Context free Grammar(CFG)
30. and Find Languages generated by CFG
Simplification of CFG i.e. Simplified Grammar
a) Removal of - production
31. b) Removal of Unit production
c) Removal of Useless symbol
32. More examples on Simplification of CFG
Description of Chomsky Normal Form(CNF), Conversion from CFG to CNF
33. examples
Description of Greibach Normal Form(GNF), Conversion from
34. CFG to GNF examples
35. Closure Properties of CFL
MODULE 4
36. Introduction to PDA: Description and definition
37. PDA Example (Lect-1)
38. PDA Example (Lect-2)
39. Instantaneous Description (ID) of PDA
40. Acceptance by Final state, Acceptance by empty stack and their equivalence
41. Conversion of CFG to PDA
42. Pumping lemma theorem for CFL
43. Closure Properties of CFL (Lect-1)
44. Closure Properties of CFL (Lect-2)
MODULE 5
Introduction to Turing Machine(TM): Basic model, definition and representation
45.
46. Turing Machine Examples, Language acceptance by TM
47. Instantaneous Description(ID) of TM
48. Recursive Languages(REC) vs. Recursively Enumerable Languages(REL),
49. Halting Problem,
Introduction Chomsky classification
to Undecidability, of Grammar
Undecidable problems & Languages.
about TMs.
Post correspondence problem (PCP), Modified PCP and undecidable nature of
50. post correspondence problem.
END SEMESTER EXAM (15th November 2025 – 25th November 2025)
CS21003: Automata Theory and Formal Languages
ACTIVITY
TYPE DATE MARKS CO
SL.NO.
1 Class Test-1 15th Aug - 31th Aug 5 CO1, CO2
2 Quiz-1 01st Sep - 6th Sep 5 CO1, CO2
3 Assignment-1 09th Sep - 13th Sep 5 CO1, CO2, CO3
MID SEM EXAM 08th Sep-13th Sep 2025
4 Class Test-2 21th Oct - 31st Oct 5 CO3, CO4
5 Quiz-2 01st Nov - 10th Nov 10 CO3, CO4, CO5,
CO6
END SEM EXAM 15th Nov - 25th Nov 2025
Note: The type and date of activities may vary based on course coverage and individual faculty
discretion. However, all are advised to ensure completion of activities worth 15 marks before
the mid-semester examination.
