Random Context Grammars Research Articles

A Pumping Lemma for Permitting Semi-Conditional Languages

Permitting semi-conditional grammars (pSCGs) are extensions of context-free grammars where each rule is associated with a word [Formula: see text] and such a rule can be applied to a sentential form [Formula: see text] only if [Formula: see text] is a subword of [Formula: see text]. We consider permitting generalized SCGs (pgSCGs) where each rule [Formula: see text] is associated with a set of words [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is applicable only if every word in [Formula: see text] occurs in [Formula: see text]. We investigate the generative power of pgSCGs with no erasing rules and prove a pumping lemma for their languages. Using this lemma we show that pgSCGs are strictly weaker than context-sensitive grammars. This solves a long-lasting open problem concerning the generative power of pSCGs. Moreover, we give a comparison of the generating power of pgSCGs and that of forbidding random context grammars with no erasing rules.

One-sided random context grammars with a limited number of right random context rules

This paper deals with regulated grammars. Specifically, it studies one-sided random context grammars. It demonstrates that any recursively enumerable language can be generated by these grammars with no more than two right random context rules.

Necessary conditions for subclasses of random context languages

Random context grammars belong to the class of context-free grammars with regulated rewriting. Their productions depend on context that may be randomly distributed in a sentential form. Context is classified as either permitting or forbidding, where permitting context enables the application of a production and forbidding context inhibits it. We have proven a pumping lemma for random permitting context languages and a shrinking lemma for random forbidding context languages. We now present new necessary conditions for both these classes of languages and illustrate them with examples. We also present and illustrate a new necessary condition for context-free languages.

Left Random Context ET0L Grammars

Consider ET0L grammars. Modify them such that a set of permitting symbols and a set of forbidding symbols are attached to each of their rules, just like in random context grammars. A rule like this can rewrite a symbol if each of its permitting symbols occurs to the left of the symbol to be rewritten in the current sentential form while each of its forbidding symbols does not occur there. ET0L grammars modified in this way are referred to as left random context ET0L grammars, and they represent the principal subject of the investigation in this paper. We prove that these grammars characterize the family of recursively enumerable languages, and without erasing rules, they characterize the family of context-sensitive languages. We also introduce a variety of special cases of these grammars and establish their generative power. In the conclusion, we put all the achieved results into the context of formal language theory as a whole and formulate several open questions.

Nonterminal complexity of one-sided random context grammars

In the present paper, we study the nonterminal complexity of one-sided random context grammars. More specifically, we prove that every recursively enumerable language can be generated by a one-sided random context grammar with no more than ten nonterminals. An analogical result holds for thirteen nonterminals in terms of these grammars with the set of left random context rules coinciding with the set of right random context rules. Furthermore, we introduce the notion of a right random context nonterminal, defined as a nonterminal that appears on the left-hand side of a right random context rule. We demonstrate how to convert any one-sided random context grammar G to an equivalent one-sided random context grammar H with two right random context nonterminals. An analogical conversion is given in terms of (1) propagating one-sided random context grammars and (2) left random context nonterminals. In the conclusion, two open problems are stated.

One-sided random context grammars

The notion of a one-sided random context grammar is defined as a context-free-based regulated grammar, in which a set of permitting symbols and a set of forbidding symbols are attached to every rule, and its set of rules is divided into the set of left random context rules and the set of right random context rules. A left random context rule can rewrite a nonterminal if each of its permitting symbols occurs to the left of the rewritten symbol in the current sentential form while each of its forbidding symbols does not occur there. A right random context rule is applied analogically except that the symbols are examined to the right of the rewritten symbol. The paper demonstrates that without erasing rules, one-sided random context grammars characterize the family of context-sensitive languages, and with erasing rules, these grammars characterize the family of recursively enumerable languages. In fact, these characterization results hold even if the set of left random context rules coincides with the set of right random context rules. Several special cases of these grammars are considered, and their generative power is established. In its conclusion, some important open problems are suggested to study in the future.

Cooperating Distributed Grammar Systems with Random Context Grammars as Components

In this paper, we discuss cooperating distributed grammar systems where components are (variants of) random context grammars. We give an overview of known results and open problems, and prove some further results.

Multiset random context grammars, checkers, and transducers

We introduce a general model of random context multiset grammars as well as the concept of multiset random context checkers and transducers. Our main results show how recursively enumerable sets of finite multisets can be generated using these models of computing; corresponding results for antiport P systems are established, too.

FURTHER RESULTS ON P SYSTEMS WITH PROMOTERS/INHIBITORS

This paper presents several results regarding P systems with non-cooperative rules and promoters/inhibitors at the level of rules. For the class of P systems using inhibitors, generating families of sets of vectors of numbers, a characterization of the family of Parikh sets of ET0L languages is shown. In the case of P systems with non-cooperative promoted rules even if an upper bound was not given, the inclusion of the family PsET0L was proved. Moreover, a characterization of such systems by means of a particular form of random context grammars, therefore a sequential formal device, is proposed.

A pumping lemma for random permitting context languages

Random context grammars belong to the class of context-free grammars with regulated rewriting. Their productions depend on context that may be randomly distributed in a sentential form. Context is classified as either permitting or forbidding, where permitting context enables the application of a production and forbidding context inhibits it. For random context languages of finite index a generalization of the well-known pumping lemma for context-free languages has been proven. We drop the finite index restriction and concentrate on non-erasing grammars that use permitting context only. We prove a pumping lemma for their languages that generalizes and refines the existing one, and show that these grammars are strictly weaker than the non-erasing random context grammars.

A shrinking lemma for random forbidding context languages

Random context grammars belong to the class of context-free grammars with regulated rewriting. Their productions depend on context that may be randomly distributed in a sentential form. Context is classified as either permitting or forbidding, where permitting context enables the application of a production and forbidding context inhibits it. We concentrate on non-erasing grammars that use forbidding context only. We show that they are strictly weaker than the non-erasing random context grammars and prove a shrinking lemma for their languages.

A hierarchy of random-context grammars and automata

Random-context grammars are progressively extended to three dimensions. Random-context structure grammars that generate three-dimensional digital structures are introduced. The characterization of random-context array grammars and random-context structure grammars by two-dimensional random-context array automata and three-dimensional random-context structure automata respectively is investigated. A possible practical application of random-context structure grammars and automata in the modeling of chemical molecules is speculated on.

Remarks on the Complexity of Regulated Rewriting

We compare the description of languages by context free, Indian parallel, Russian parallel, programmed, matrix, and random context grammars with respect to the number of nonterminals.

Some restrictive devices for context-free grammars

For context-free grammars the restrictive devices of unordered scattered context, random context, partial ordering of productions and concatenation of productions in matrices are compared with respect to their generative power. This leads to two new characterizations of the family of type O languages in terms of unordered scattered context grammars and random context grammars, respectively. Languages generated by context-free grammars by imposing one of the above-mentioned restrictive devices or programming, regular control language, periodic time-variance or context-sensitivity are shown to have in the case of finite index a property similar to the “uvwxyproperty≓ of context-free languages.