Automata on infinite objects and their applications to logic and programming

Abstract

We introduce various types of ω-automata, top-down automata and bottom-up automata on infinite trees. We study the power of determinstic and nondeterministic tree automata and prove that deterministic and non-deterministic bottom-up tree automata accept the same infinite tree sets. We establish a relationship between tree automata, Logic programs, recursive program schemes, and the monadic second-order theory of the tree. We prove that the equivalence of two rational logic programs is decidable.