Formal Languages Questions
The main difference between a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) and a non-deterministic finite automaton (NFA) lies in their transition behavior.
In a DFA, for each input symbol, there is exactly one transition defined for each state. This means that the next state is uniquely determined by the current state and the input symbol. DFAs are deterministic in the sense that given a specific input, they will always produce the same output and follow a unique path.
On the other hand, in an NFA, there can be multiple transitions defined for a given input symbol and state, or even no transition at all. This non-determinism allows for more flexibility in the transition behavior. When faced with a specific input, an NFA can have multiple possible paths to follow, and it may accept the input if at least one of these paths leads to an accepting state.
In summary, the key difference is that DFAs have a unique transition for each input symbol and state, while NFAs can have multiple transitions or no transitions for the same input symbol and state.