A concise introduction to languages and machines / Alan P. Parkes.

Includes index.

Introduction -- Part One : Languages and Machines -- Elements of Formal Languages -- Syntax, Semantics and Ambiguity -- Regular Languages and Finite State -- Context Free Languages and Pushdown Recognisers -- Important Features of Regular and Context Free Languages -- Phrase Structure Languages and Turing Machines -- Part Two : Machines and Computation -- Finite State Transducers -- Turing Machines as Computers -- Turing's Thesis and The Universality of the Turing Machine -- Computability, Solvability and the Halting Problem -- Dimensions of Computation -- Further Reading -- Solutions to Selected Exercises.

This easy-to-follow text provides an accessible introduction to the key topics of formal languages and abstract machines within Computer Science. The author follows the successful formula of his first book on this subject, this time making these core computing topics more fundamental and providing an excellent foundation for undergraduates. The book is divided into two parts, Languages and Machines and Machines and Computation. The first part is concerned with formal language theory, as it applies to Computer Science, whereas Part 2 considers the computational properties of the machines in more detail. This text is deliberately non-mathematical and, wherever possible, links theory to practical considerations, in particular the implications for programming, computation and problem solving. Written in an informal style, this textbook assumes only a basic knowledge of programming on the part of the reader. Features: • Clear explanations of formal notation and jargon • Extensive use of examples to illustrate algorithms and proofs • Pictorial representations of key concepts • Chapter-opening overviews providing an introduction and guidance to each topic • An introductory chapter supplies the reader with a solid overview • End-of-chapter exercises and solutions This reader-friendly textbook has been written with undergraduates in mind and will be suitable for use on courses covering formal languages, computability, automata theory and computational linguistics. It will also make an excellent supplementary text for courses on algorithm complexity and compilers.

A Concise Introduction to Languages, Machines and Logic provides an accessible introduction to three key topics within computer science: formal languages, abstract machines and formal logic. Written in an easy-to-read, informal style, this textbook assumes only a basic knowledge of programming on the part of the reader. The approach is deliberately non-mathematical, and features: - Clear explanations of formal notation and jargon, - Extensive use of examples to illustrate algorithms and proofs, - Pictorial representations of key concepts, - Chapter opening overviews providing an introduction and guidance to each topic, - End-of-chapter exercises and solutions, - Offers an intuitive approach to the topics. This reader-friendly textbook has been written with undergraduates in mind and will be suitable for use on course covering formal languages, formal logic, computability and automata theory. It will also make an excellent supplementary text for courses on algorithm complexity and compilers

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