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Using JFLAP to interact with theorems in automata theory

Published: 01 March 1999 Publication History

Abstract

An automata theory course can be taught in an interactive, hands-on manner using a computer. At Duke we have been using the software tool JFLAP to provide interaction and feedback in CPS 140, our automata theory course. JFLAP is a tool for designing and running nondeterministic versions of finite automata, pushdown automata, and Turing machines. Recently, we have enhanced JFLAP to allow one to study the proofs of several theorems that focus on conversions of languages, from one form to another, such as converting an NFA to a DFA and then to a minimum state DFA. In addition, our enhancements combined with other tools allow one to interactively study LL and LR parsing methods.

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      Published In

      cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
      ACM SIGCSE Bulletin  Volume 31, Issue 1
      March 1999
      370 pages
      ISSN:0097-8418
      DOI:10.1145/384266
      Issue’s Table of Contents
      • cover image ACM Conferences
        SIGCSE '99: The proceedings of the thirtieth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
        March 1999
        383 pages
        ISBN:1581130856
        DOI:10.1145/299649
        • Chairmen:
        • Jane Prey,
        • Bob Noonan
      Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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      Association for Computing Machinery

      New York, NY, United States

      Publication History

      Published: 01 March 1999
      Published in SIGCSE Volume 31, Issue 1

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      • (2018)Synthesis of regular expression problems and solutionsInternational Journal of Computers and Applications10.1080/1206212X.2018.148239842:8(748-764)Online publication date: 28-Jun-2018
      • (2018)A mobile app for teaching formal languages and automataComputer Applications in Engineering Education10.1002/cae.2194426:5(1742-1752)Online publication date: 28-Jun-2018
      • (2011)Fifty years of automata simulationACM Inroads10.1145/2038876.20388932:4(59-70)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2011
      • (2007)Engaging students in formal language theory and theory of computationACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1227504.122746339:1(450-453)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2007
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      • (2005)A visual and interactive automata theory course emphasizing breadth of automataACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1151954.106753537:3(325-329)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2005
      • (2005)A visual and interactive automata theory course emphasizing breadth of automataProceedings of the 10th annual SIGCSE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education10.1145/1067445.1067535(325-329)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2005
      • (2004)Language emulator, a helpful toolkit in the learning process of computer theoryProceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/971300.971348(135-139)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2004
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