Language contex-free or not?












0












$begingroup$


I was wondering whether this language is context-free or not?



It's $L = { AB ~|~ |A| = |B| text{ and } A neq B }$ .



The alphabet is ${ a, b }$.



In my textbook it's written that it is Context-free, but I can't seem to find proper grammar for it.



How can I keep that the words are always different?
If it's not CF, how can I prove it with the pumping lemma?










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$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Your textbook is right. The language ${AA ~|~ A in {a,b}^* }$ is well-known not to be context-free, but its complement and the closely-related $L$ of your problem are CFLs.
    $endgroup$
    – Fabio Somenzi
    Dec 21 '18 at 5:35
















0












$begingroup$


I was wondering whether this language is context-free or not?



It's $L = { AB ~|~ |A| = |B| text{ and } A neq B }$ .



The alphabet is ${ a, b }$.



In my textbook it's written that it is Context-free, but I can't seem to find proper grammar for it.



How can I keep that the words are always different?
If it's not CF, how can I prove it with the pumping lemma?










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Your textbook is right. The language ${AA ~|~ A in {a,b}^* }$ is well-known not to be context-free, but its complement and the closely-related $L$ of your problem are CFLs.
    $endgroup$
    – Fabio Somenzi
    Dec 21 '18 at 5:35














0












0








0





$begingroup$


I was wondering whether this language is context-free or not?



It's $L = { AB ~|~ |A| = |B| text{ and } A neq B }$ .



The alphabet is ${ a, b }$.



In my textbook it's written that it is Context-free, but I can't seem to find proper grammar for it.



How can I keep that the words are always different?
If it's not CF, how can I prove it with the pumping lemma?










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$




I was wondering whether this language is context-free or not?



It's $L = { AB ~|~ |A| = |B| text{ and } A neq B }$ .



The alphabet is ${ a, b }$.



In my textbook it's written that it is Context-free, but I can't seem to find proper grammar for it.



How can I keep that the words are always different?
If it's not CF, how can I prove it with the pumping lemma?







formal-languages context-free-grammar formal-grammar






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share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question




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edited Dec 21 '18 at 4:39









Fabio Somenzi

6,52821321




6,52821321










asked Dec 21 '18 at 3:48









Angeld55Angeld55

565




565












  • $begingroup$
    Your textbook is right. The language ${AA ~|~ A in {a,b}^* }$ is well-known not to be context-free, but its complement and the closely-related $L$ of your problem are CFLs.
    $endgroup$
    – Fabio Somenzi
    Dec 21 '18 at 5:35


















  • $begingroup$
    Your textbook is right. The language ${AA ~|~ A in {a,b}^* }$ is well-known not to be context-free, but its complement and the closely-related $L$ of your problem are CFLs.
    $endgroup$
    – Fabio Somenzi
    Dec 21 '18 at 5:35
















$begingroup$
Your textbook is right. The language ${AA ~|~ A in {a,b}^* }$ is well-known not to be context-free, but its complement and the closely-related $L$ of your problem are CFLs.
$endgroup$
– Fabio Somenzi
Dec 21 '18 at 5:35




$begingroup$
Your textbook is right. The language ${AA ~|~ A in {a,b}^* }$ is well-known not to be context-free, but its complement and the closely-related $L$ of your problem are CFLs.
$endgroup$
– Fabio Somenzi
Dec 21 '18 at 5:35










1 Answer
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$begingroup$

The solution comes from looking at the problem with a bit of a squint. I'll just describe the trick (although you'll find it a lot more satisfying to figure it out yourself, so you might not want to read this yet.)



We know that $|A| = |B| text{ and } A ne B$. That means there is at least one $i$ for which $A_i ne B_i$. Now consider the complete sentence $W = AB$, and let $n = |A|$. Clearly $A_i$ is $W_i$ and $B_i$ is $W_{n+i}$. That means that



$$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{n-i}Sigma^{i-1}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



But that's the same as



$$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{i-1}Sigma^{n-i}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



In other words, $W$ is the concatenation of two odd-length substrings whose middle characters differ.






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    1 Answer
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    1 Answer
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    0












    $begingroup$

    The solution comes from looking at the problem with a bit of a squint. I'll just describe the trick (although you'll find it a lot more satisfying to figure it out yourself, so you might not want to read this yet.)



    We know that $|A| = |B| text{ and } A ne B$. That means there is at least one $i$ for which $A_i ne B_i$. Now consider the complete sentence $W = AB$, and let $n = |A|$. Clearly $A_i$ is $W_i$ and $B_i$ is $W_{n+i}$. That means that



    $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{n-i}Sigma^{i-1}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



    But that's the same as



    $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{i-1}Sigma^{n-i}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



    In other words, $W$ is the concatenation of two odd-length substrings whose middle characters differ.






    share|cite|improve this answer









    $endgroup$


















      0












      $begingroup$

      The solution comes from looking at the problem with a bit of a squint. I'll just describe the trick (although you'll find it a lot more satisfying to figure it out yourself, so you might not want to read this yet.)



      We know that $|A| = |B| text{ and } A ne B$. That means there is at least one $i$ for which $A_i ne B_i$. Now consider the complete sentence $W = AB$, and let $n = |A|$. Clearly $A_i$ is $W_i$ and $B_i$ is $W_{n+i}$. That means that



      $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{n-i}Sigma^{i-1}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



      But that's the same as



      $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{i-1}Sigma^{n-i}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



      In other words, $W$ is the concatenation of two odd-length substrings whose middle characters differ.






      share|cite|improve this answer









      $endgroup$
















        0












        0








        0





        $begingroup$

        The solution comes from looking at the problem with a bit of a squint. I'll just describe the trick (although you'll find it a lot more satisfying to figure it out yourself, so you might not want to read this yet.)



        We know that $|A| = |B| text{ and } A ne B$. That means there is at least one $i$ for which $A_i ne B_i$. Now consider the complete sentence $W = AB$, and let $n = |A|$. Clearly $A_i$ is $W_i$ and $B_i$ is $W_{n+i}$. That means that



        $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{n-i}Sigma^{i-1}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



        But that's the same as



        $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{i-1}Sigma^{n-i}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



        In other words, $W$ is the concatenation of two odd-length substrings whose middle characters differ.






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$



        The solution comes from looking at the problem with a bit of a squint. I'll just describe the trick (although you'll find it a lot more satisfying to figure it out yourself, so you might not want to read this yet.)



        We know that $|A| = |B| text{ and } A ne B$. That means there is at least one $i$ for which $A_i ne B_i$. Now consider the complete sentence $W = AB$, and let $n = |A|$. Clearly $A_i$ is $W_i$ and $B_i$ is $W_{n+i}$. That means that



        $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{n-i}Sigma^{i-1}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



        But that's the same as



        $$W = Sigma^{i-1}A_iSigma^{i-1}Sigma^{n-i}B_iSigma^{n-i}$$



        In other words, $W$ is the concatenation of two odd-length substrings whose middle characters differ.







        share|cite|improve this answer












        share|cite|improve this answer



        share|cite|improve this answer










        answered Dec 21 '18 at 17:57









        ricirici

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        39829






























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