An introduction to formal languages and automata / Peter Linz, PhD, University of California at Davis.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction to the theory of computation -- Finite automata -- Regular languages and regular grammars -- Properties of regular languages -- Simplification of context-free grammars and normal forms -- Pushdown automata -- Properties of context-free languages -- Turing machines -- Other models of Turing machines -- A hierarchy of formal languages and automata -- Limits of algorithmic computation -- Other models of computation -- An overview of computational complexity.

The Sixth 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. Written to address the fundamentals of formal languages, automata, and computability, the text is 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. The author, Peter Linz, continues to offer 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.