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Theoretical Computer Science
Volume 248, Issues 1-2, 6 October 2000, Pages 29-98
 
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doi:10.1016/S0304-3975(00)00049-9    How to Cite or Link Using DOI (Opens New Window)
Copyright © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Interconvertibility of a class of set constraints and context-free-language reachability*1

David MelskiCorresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author and Thomas RepsE-mail The Corresponding Author

Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin, 1210 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Available online 21 September 2000.

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Abstract

We show the interconvertibility of context-free-language reachability problems and a class of set-constraint problems: given a context-free-language reachability problem, we show how to construct a set-constraint problem whose answer gives a solution to the reachability problem; given a set-constraint problem, we show how to construct a context-free-language reachability problem whose answer gives a solution to the set-constraint problem. The interconvertibility of these two formalisms offers a conceptual advantage akin to the advantage gained from the interconvertibility of finite-state automata and regular expressions in formal language theory, namely, a problem can be formulated in whichever formalism is most natural. It also offers some insight into the “O(n3) bottleneck” for different types of program-analysis problems and allows results previously obtained for context-free-language reachability problems to be applied to set-constraint problems and vice versa.

Author Keywords: Definite set constraints; Context-free-language reachability; Path problem; Program analysis; Complexity of program-analysis problems


 
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