Context-free grammar simplification is a subject of high importance in computer language processing technology as well as in formal language theory. This paper presents a formalization, using the Coq proof assistant, of the fact that general context-free grammars generate languages that can be also generated by simpler and equivalent context-free grammars. Namely, useless symbol elimination, inaccessible symbol elimination, unit rules elimination and empty rules elimination operations were described and proven correct with respect to the preservation of the language generated by the original grammar.

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Formalization of simplification for context-free grammars

This work describes a formalization effort, using the Coq proof assistant, of fundamental results related to the classical theory of context-free grammars and languages. These include closure properties union, concatenation and Kleene star, grammar simplification elimination of useless symbols, inaccessible symbols, empty rules and unit rules, the existence of a Chomsky Normal Form for context-free grammars and the Pumping Lemma for context-free languages. The result is an important set of libraries covering the main results of context-free language theory, with more than 500 lemmas and theorems fully proved and checked. This is probably the most comprehensive formalization of the classical context-free language theory in the Coq proof assistant done to the present date, and includes the important result that is the formalization of the Pumping Lemma for context-free languages.

/pdf/on-the-formalization-of-some-results-of-context-free-3qp1t433x3.pdf

On the Formalization of Some Results of Context-Free Language Theory

Context-free language theory is a subject of high importance in computer language processing technology as well as in formal language theory. This paper presents a formalization, using the Coq proof assistant, of fundamental results related to context-free grammars and languages. These include closure properties (union, concatenation and Kleene star), grammar simplification (elimination of useless symbols inaccessible symbols, empty rules and unit rules) and the existence of a Chomsky Normal Form for context-free grammars.

Formalization of context-free language theory

Context-free languages are highly important in computer language processing technology as well as in formal language theory. The Pumping Lemma is a property that is valid for all context-free languages, and is used to show the existence of non context-free languages. This paper presents a formalization, using the Coq proof assistant, of the Pumping Lemma for context-free languages.

/pdf/formalization-of-the-pumping-lemma-for-context-free-b7qbm07ixf.pdf

Formalization of the pumping lemma for context-free languages

Certification of Context-Free Grammar Algorithms

Context-free language theory is a well-established area of mathematics, relevant to computer science foundations and technology. This paper presents the preliminary results of an ongoing formalization project using context-free grammars and the Coq proof assistant. The results obtained so far include the representation of context-free grammars, the description of algorithms for some operations on them (union, concatenation and closure) and the proof of related theorems (e.g. the correctness of these algorithms). A brief survey of related works is presented, as well as plans for further development.

Marcus Vinícius Midena Ramos

Papers

Formalization of closure properties for context-free grammars.

Formalization of simplification for context-free grammars

On the Formalization of Some Results of Context-Free Language Theory

Formalization of context-free language theory

Formalization of the pumping lemma for context-free languages