Amazon.com
This book is a rigorous exposition of formal languages and models of computation, with an introduction to computational complexity. The authors present the theory in a concise and straightforward manner, with an eye out for the practical applications. Exercises at the end of each chapter, including some that have been solved, help readers confirm and enhance their understanding of the material. This book is appropriate for upper-level computer science undergraduates who are comfortable with mathematical arguments.
Book Description
This classic book on formal languages, automata theory, and computational complexity has been updated to present theoretical concepts in a concise and straightforward manner with the increase of hands-on, practical applications. This new edition comes with Gradiance, an online assessment tool developed for computer science.
Gradiance is the most advanced online assessment tool developed for the computer science discipline. With its innovative underlying technology, Gradiance turns basic homework assignments and programming labs into an interactive learning experience for students. By using a series of “root questions” and hints, it not only tests a student’s capability, but actually simulates a one-on-one teacher-student tutorial that allows for the student to more easily learn the material. Through the programming labs, instructors are capable of testing, tracking, and honing their students’ skills, both in terms of syntax and semantics, with an unprecedented level of assessment never before offered.
Customer Reviews:
A Butchered Classic.......2007-09-28
I've heard that the first edition of this book is a classic. Reading the second edition, I can kind of see that -- occasionally there will be a stretch of 5 pages or so that is wonderfully clear, concise, and informative.
But overall, this edition is a disappointment. The explanations tend to be mechanical and unhelpful, and are sometimes confused or just incorrect. New sections on mathematical foundations and applications have been added, but there isn't really adequate space devoted to covering either topic, and the results are so rushed and lacking in context that I can't see those sections being useful to anyone who would need them in the first place. Finally, this edition needs to be proofread for correctness! It contains numerous mistakes, some of them in the presentations of key proofs.
Updated Classic Text.......2007-08-29
The previous edition of this text was published in the late 70's (1979), and it was still in use today in many schools and Universities across the world. For good reason too, the authors of this text really nail down the concept of computability as we understand it today. It is very difficult to find an undergraduate curriculum that does not include a course in Computability or theory of computation, and that is certainly a change from a couple of decades ago where this type of study was left to the Graduate level curricula. What this means to the reader is that one can not be a Computer Scientist without understanding the concepts and theory behind what computability really means.
Things like Context Free languages and grammar are used readily in things like XML and its accompanying standards such as the DTD. So, it makes sense to update a classic text to include such topics and further illustrate to the reader that what once was a theory is now center stage of Computer Science and the IT industry as a whole.
The text starts with the classics such as an introduction to automata theory followed by languages. The authors have taken a more relaxed approach to the topics as the proofs are less formal and easier to follow. Plain text is usually used to informally proof the topic at hand, and the authors go into a more formal approach on selected proofs. This is definitely a better approach than the other texts in the same topic that proofs are center stage of the discussion and the reader gets lost early on in the process. The text is easy to read for students, and easy to explain for the instructors. I remember when I took theory of Computation for my graduate work proofs were so convoluted and difficult to read that I had to spend many of nights trying to understand what the instructor was talking about in the class.
As one would expect, the book then goes into Turning Theory and Machine with the concept to computability and complexity. Well, the good news is that the authors' approach to the topic does not change; lots of explaining of the basics followed by a more detailed formal approach to the topic. All I need to say is that I wish my text was this reader friendly! Chapter 8, Introduction to Turing Machines, sets the ground work for the rest of the text. It explains reducibility and more importantly how to reduce a problem, something I have never seen in any other text in such detail! Automata and its relation to Turing Machine is depicted in detail, so there is no gap between the topics. What is interesting is that the authors close the loop with actually talking about, for example the Halting problem, in the real world with a program.
As one would expect, different classes of problems are explored in detail with many examples (theory and real-world examples) that accompany the topic at hand. Each chapter ends with a summary of topics discussed followed by a set of exercises. There are also a number of exercises at the end of each section in a given chapter in order to reel-in the topic for the reader.
All and all, this is one great text on automata and computation theory. It is easy to read and follow for the students without the loss of content. The authors relate abstract concepts to real-world examples to further illustrate the importance of the topic at hand.
Good, but just it.......2007-06-27
A good book, but just it.
It's like a normal book. It's not bad but not excellent...
Automata theory. The heart of Computer Science.......2007-04-06
Excellent book. Nothing to say for this one.
Eh... Whatever..........2007-01-21
Uhm... I had to buy this book because it was a required text for a required course. Who would buy a book like this otherwise? Duh!
Amazon.com
Languages and Machines is a user-friendly text that covers the key ideas of the theory of computation clearly and thoroughly. Examples and numerous diagrams, including diagrams that illustrate the principle of induction, aid in the understanding of the material. Relative to other books containing similar information, this text contains in-depth coverage of languages and parsing.
Customer Reviews:
No Examples , No Answers, No Hints.......2006-11-20
Besides the fact that the book is "dry", in which most Math theory based books are, the examples are just the basis step towards solving a problem. I equate it to teaching a child how to add, and just giving them the example "1 + 0", then assume they can figure out the rest. There are no answers, either in the back of the book for particular exercies, nor was a study guide made available. What is really shocking is that it's the most expensive book out there! Not to mention that there isn't any programming steps made available. Great text for a Math major ... horrible textbook for Computer Science Majors, mainly because computer science majors would want to see programming examples and may not be as strongly math oriented as a Math major would be.
A Good Book for a Tough Subject.......2006-02-15
Abstract language theory is hard, but Languages and Machines does a very good job of explaining the subject step by step. The topics are covered extremely thoroughly and with just the right amount of rigor. As for those who claim it's not exciting enough, you can't get blood out of a stone. Only the most dedicated computer scientist and mathematicians will find this topic interesting. Even so, this book does a superb job of tying theory to application (e.g., the machines one can use language theory to build) for even the most obscure concepts (like the Greibach Normal Form).
That being said, there are a few problems. First, the author's claim that this is a book for undergrads is not credible (except perhaps at MIT or CalTech). Even my graduate students have to read sections multiple times to "get it". Second, the author needs to provide solutions to selected problems at the back of the textbook. Most theory books do this, but not this one. This is a major weakness, especially given the difficulty of the material. Lastly, Sudkamp's proofs are extremely dry and very difficult to follow. He should take a cue from Sipser's excellent book (Intro to Theory of Computation) and introduce "proof ideas" to give the big picture for important proofs.
emphasises the Turing machine.......2005-09-29
[A review of the 3RD EDITION, 2005.]
Sudkamp gives a formal and rigorous explanation of what constitutes a language. Where this is deliberately taken to include both natural (spoken) languages and programming languages. To do this, you should note that the treatment is necessarily non-trivial. It is not a lightweight book, conceptually.
The book summarises decades of work in this field, that have attempted to reduce human languages to a form that could be "understood" by a machine. So he explains the various techniques that have arisen. Like finite state machines (finite automata).
Notably, he discusses what is a Turing machine. A universal computing engine, that all other computers can map to. Such a Turing machine might be deterministic or non-deterministic. You can learn very powerful unifying ideas.
From the construct of a Turing machine, the book uses this to delve into problems that are NP complete or P complete. The implementation of a solution as steps to be done by a Turing machine are elegant, and show how such a machine, while an idealisation, can be used to give provable results.
horrified.......2005-09-22
The book is incredibly boring. If you're condemned to read it (say, it's required reading for your qualifiers), I strongly recommend that you find a group of people to study w/ and pool your resources to only buy a single copy. The lack of answers at the back of the book makes self study difficult, and groupwork might be the only way to stay awake.
I wish to God I could think of another book to recommend over this one. I imagine any will do.
Taught by the author!.......2004-09-21
Hey,
I was fortunate enough to learn this course from the author of the book. The book by itself might seem tough. The fault lies in the fact that subject matter is not altogether too simple to understand without someone teaching it to you!
With the help of the instructor, we did learn a lot about formal languages, finite automaton, regular grammer, etc.
The key to understanding this material (and using this book effectively) is solving as many problems as possible, preferably in a group setting so that solutions can be discussed.
Note: For most problems, there exists multiple solutions, and the approach is what needs to be learned and discussed.
Recommended, with some reservations...Good luck!
Amazon.com
Even those with little mathematical background will be able to understand this user-friendly book, which focuses on formal languages and models of computation. (The author devotes an entire chapter to induction and recursive definitions.) Introduction to Languages and the Theory of Computation weaves numerous examples and highly readable discussions of the key ideas--and how they fit into the larger picture--in between rigorous proofs of the theorems.
Book Description
Introduction to Languages and the Theory of Computation is an introduction to the theory of computation that emphasizes formal languages, automata and abstract models of computation, and computability; it also includes an introduction to computational complexity and NP-completeness. Through the study of these topics, students encounter profound computational questions and are introduced to topics that will have an ongoing impact in computer science. Once students have seen some of the many diverse technologies contributing to computer science, they can also begin to appreciate the field as a coherent discipline. A distinctive feature of this text is its gentle and gradual introduction of the necessary mathematical tools in the context in which they are used. Martin takes advantage of the clarity and precision of mathematical language but also provides discussion and examples that make the language intelligible to those just learning to read and speak it. The material is designed to be accessible to students who do not have a strong background in discrete mathematics, but it is also appropriate for students who have had some exposure to discrete math but whose skills in this area need to be consolidated and sharpened.
Customer Reviews:
Less than elegant.......2006-11-27
As far as basic ideas of automata goes, this book will do. It's not phenomenal, and it's not awful. It is merely sufficient. The main problem is that it lacks elegance in a number of places. In many places, it feels sloppy. Definitions are almost arbitrary, and often lack rigor. Techniques are long, tedious, and not very interesting. (This is nowhere more evident that the finite automaton -> regular expression conversion from Ch. 4, which has a really neat solution that this book does NOT give.) Yet, despite all this, it conveys the important ideas nevertheless.
As far as developing skills for more advanced concepts of theory of computation, things don't look so good. This book's approach can be described as attempting, by sheer force, to make automata problems fit into rather vanilla proof techniques that readers will probably have already learned. The result is likely to do little more than convince readers that the subject is hard.
Lacks educational value.......2004-01-18
During the course this book has been anything but helpful. The introductory part is a laugh as it takes for given you as a reader is very deep into mathematical lingo and proofs. Indeed the poofs are some of the worst written, many of them using statements as "Clearly it is..." and "It is now easy to see...", well, no, it isn't easy and mostly seems like a shortcut from the author to excuse himself from actual explanations.
Even worse is the examples where solutions reference something form an excercise, here's a hint to Mr Martin, students don't solve all the extremly many excercises unless asked to, so saying something will be clear after a certain excercise doesn't work, how will we ever know if we're right or wrong?
The educational value is very low due to the authors way of writing, never really getting the point across and always assuming the reader knows exactly what's going on. This is certainly not the way to teach people rather complex things. All in all anyone should look elsewhere to have a chance.
Breadth Of Information.......2003-11-25
I normally don't write reviews. Couple of not very positive reviews could not stop me writing one for this title. In my opinion, this book really presents a breadth of information
on the subject. If one is considering to buy this book, one should have due background in Discrete Mathematics.
Terrible book.......2003-01-08
This book is awful. Hard to follow along with the reading. Poor examples, lacking and skipping many steps when there actually is an example. Answers to a few of the questions would have been nice, to know if the problems were done correctly. Must be a master of discrete mathmatics to have any understanding what is going on. I have seen many better books.
Good textbook for computation theory starter.......2002-12-29
I read this book during my preparation for a comprehensive exam, which includes materials about theory of computation. I was bad at theory all the time, but reading this book removes all my confusions. It looks like lots of math at first glance, but all the theorems explained clearly after the declarations. This book is also very helpful to understand the fundamental theory for programming languages. I recommend this book for all new graduate students of computer science.
Book Description
Fully revised, the new Fourth Edition of An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata provides an accessible, student-friendly presentation of all material essential to an introductory Theory of Computation course. The text was designed to familiarize students with the foundations and principles of computer science and to strengthen the students' ability to carry out formal and rigorous mathematical arguments. In the new Fourth Edition, author Peter Linz has offered a straightforward, uncomplicated treatment of formal languages and automata and avoids excessive mathematical detail so that students may focus on and understand the underlying principles. In an effort to further the accessibility and comprehension of the text, he has added new illustrative examples throughout.
Customer Reviews:
Great for the price.......2007-02-22
Using the 3rd ed. instead of the 4th ed. specified in Computer Language Theory syllabus. Instructor said it would be acceptable (he is using the 2nd or 3rd ed.). There is some variation in the exercise numbers, but those can be resolved with quick comparisons with someone with the latest edition.
Overall nice diagrams & explanations. I'm finding the text & examples to be solid. Nice to have solutions to selected exercises included as well.
I love this book!.......2000-09-08
I willl always think of this book as my best friend!!!
Book Description
This text covers all the material essential to an introductory theory of computation course for undergraduate students. The text has a solid mathematical base, and provides precise mathematical statements of theorems and definitions, giving an intuitive motivation for constructions and proofs. Proofs and arguments are clearly stated, without excessive mathematical detail, to help students understand the basic principles. The text is illustrated with integrated examples of new concepts as well as an abundance of exercises to aid in the development of problem solving skills.
Customer Reviews:
It's ok.......2006-05-02
The book was required for a course, and I found it to be pretty straightforward, if a little dull. It's written at a simpler level than Sipser or Hopcroft and Ullman, which might make it appropriate for someone who is a little apprehensive about the topic (although I think both of those are better books). My biggest complaint was that after finding the first two errors in the text (in an exercise solution and an example), I wasn't comfortable trusting the book to tell me what it meant. The errors were listed in the errata, so if you're using the book, print out a copy of the errata, and mark your book up. Finding these errors for yourself is a good test of your understanding, but it's also more pain than necessary. Use with caution.
Too advanced for most CS students.......2006-03-12
Many of the other reviews are negative. I have a nagging feeling that the book was simply too advanced for several, though not necessarily all, of the reviewers.
Look, most undergraduate computer science majors might not need a book as formal as this one. It really is best suited for computer scientists with a strong maths inclination. Many CS students study specific languages, some algorithms, and [hopefully] the hardware of an abstract Neumann machine.
But concepts like the left quotient of a language are really only used by those who want a grand view across all computing languages. And who possibly want to design a new language. This is beyond the capabilities of most CS majors. And so is this book.
It's a sleeper.......2004-10-04
I haven't found any reason for someone to buy this book. The writing sytle is dry. The examples are complex and poorly explained. The concepts are covered adequately, but often with a wordiness that leaves the reader bewildered (if still awake). As an "Introduction" manual, this text fails miserably. I'd have given it zero stars, if possible. It just does not do anything well, and does too many things poorly. There's too many well written texts in the world to waste time with this one.
Simply godawful.......2004-04-23
I had to purchase this for my school's Intro to CS Theory course.
Linz' utter ineptitude towards writing is what gives this book 1 star. Examples throughout chapters are sparse and relatively worthless. Sample problems at the end of the chapter, in contrast, are ridiculously difficult, and the solutions in the back don't offer any explanation whatsoever towards the answers.
This is the only book I have ever read that actually made me feel dumber for reading it. It's simply demeaning. Rather than explaining or justifying his logic, as he should to the target audience of this book, he simply uses "it's obvious that..." repeatedly for sample problems and solutions. A ridiculously complex problem's solution in the back of the book will be whittled down to two lines at best, half of which says something along the line of "It's blatantly obvious that the answer is ___, and you're stupid for not realizing it."
If you're actually assigned graded work from this book, may god have mercy on your soul.
Boring subject.......2004-01-21
This subject is confusing in general, I have this professor and he's really confusing, but when I read his own book it's actually better that him.
Average customer rating:
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Introduction to Process Algebra (Texts in Theoretical Computer Science. An EATCS Series)
Wan Fokkink
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ASIN: 354066579X |
Book Description
Automated and semi-automated manipulation of so-called labelled transition systems has become an important means in discovering flaws in software and hardware systems. Process algebra has been developed to express such labelled transition systems algebraically, which enhances the ways of manipulation by means of equational logic and term rewriting.
The theory of process algebra has developed rapidly over the last twenty years, and verification tools have been developed on the basis of process algebra, often in cooperation with techniques related to model checking. This textbook gives a thorough introduction into the basics of process algebra and its applications.
Customer Reviews:
Wondefully well written.......2000-07-20
This is a delightful new presentation of Process Algebra, which was much needed since the classic text by Baeten and Weijland is getting outdated. In comparison, I find Fokkink's text more easy to digest, more precise and going significantly further. Indeed, it should be for a theory that has evolved rapidly in the last decade. Process Algebra is on its way to become the tool to build full-proof software that will lead us out of the present day software jungle. I have used this text in my one semester class in Trier and can recommend it to any serious student of computer science.
Product Description
The purpose of this book is to present the central and basic concepts, techniques and understandings of the theory of computing, automata, and formal languages in a selection and manner that is comfortably accessible.I believe that a sound undestanding of what memory is, what the size of memory means to performing computing tasks, and what the role of "state" is in computing helps the students understand and become competent not only in a course on the material included in this book but also across most, if not all, areas of computer science. The chapters include: Computing Powers; Sequential Machines; Regular Sets and Finite-State Acceptors; Grammars; Regular Expressions.
Book Description
This book provides an accessible introduction to the most important features of formal languages and automata theory - core topics on computer science degree schemes worldwide. It focuses on the key concepts, illustrating potentially intimidating material through diagrams and pictorial representations, and this edition will include new and expanded coverage of topics such as: reduction and simplification of material on Turing machines; complexity and O notation; propositional logic and first order predicate logic. Aimed primarily at computer scientists rather than mathematicians, algorithms and proofs are presented informally through examples, and there are numerous exercises (many with solutions) and an extensive glossary. This book will be invaluable to students of computer science but it will also prove essential reading to all practitioners needing to know about formal methods.
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