Determination of finite automata accepting subregular languages

AbstractWe investigate the descriptional complexity of the nondeterministic finite automaton (NFA) to the deterministic finite automaton (DFA) conversion problem, for automata accepting subregular languages such as combinational languages, definite languages and variants thereof, (strictly) locally testable languages, star-free languages, ordered languages, prefix-, suffix-, and infix-closed languages, and prefix-, suffix-, and infix-free languages. Most of the bounds for the conversion problem are shown to be tight in the exact number of states, that is, the number is sufficient and necessary in the worst case. Otherwise tight bounds in order of magnitude are shown