A Concise Introduction to Languages, Machines and Logic provides an accessible introduction to three key topics within computer science: formal languages, abstract machines and formal logic. Written in an easy-to-read, informal style, this textbook assumes only a basic knowledge of programming on the part of the reader. The approach is deliberately non-mathematical, and features: - Clear explanations of formal notation and jargon, - Extensive use of examples to illustrate algorithms and proofs, - Pictorial representations of key concepts, - Chapter opening overviews providing an introduction and guidance to each topic, - End-of-chapter exercises and solutions, - Offers an intuitive approach to the topics. This reader-friendly textbook has been written with undergraduates in mind and will be suitable for use on course covering formal languages, formal logic, computability and automata theory. It will also make an excellent supplementary text for courses on algorithm complexity and compilers.

An up-to-date, authoritative text for courses in theory of computability and languages. The authors redefine the building blocks of automata theory by offering a single unified model encompassing all traditional types of computing machines and real world electronic computers. This reformulation of computablity and formal language theory provides a framework for building a body of knowledge. A solutions manual and an instructor's software disk are also available.

A well-written and accessible introduction to the most important features of formal languages and automata theory. It focuses on the key concepts, illustrating potentially intimidating material through diagrams and pictorial representations, and this edition includes 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.

First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.