Lecture 2 (28.10.96)

Previous lecture: Lecture 1 , Overview , Course home page ,

Representation of structures

We looked at different representations of strings and graphs as relational structures.

Using Second Order Logic to define strings

We gave examples on how to define various regular languages, the languages a^nb^n and a^nb^nc^n (not regular), hamiltonian graphs, 3-colorable graphs.
Exercise: Express connectivity, regularity, planarity of graphs in both representations.

THEOREM Regular languages are monadic second order definable in the standard representation of strings.
Proof: Was given in detail.

The star-free regular languages are defined via regular expressions.
Induction basis: The empty word, and each letter are starfree.
Induction closure: closed under and, or, negation and concatenation.

THEOREM Starfree regular languages are first order definable in the standard representation of strings.
Proof: Was given in detail.

We want to prove the converse of these theorems. For this we have to find criteria for definability.

Next lecture: Lecture 3