An efficient algorithm for solving word equations

  • Authors:
  • Wojciech Plandowski

  • Affiliations:
  • Warsaw University, Warszawa, Poland

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the thirty-eighth annual ACM symposium on Theory of computing
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

We present the first DEXPTIME algorithm which solves word equations i.e. finds a finite representation of all solutions of an equation in a free semigroup. We show how to use our approach to solve two new problems in PSPACE which deal with properties of the solution set of a word equation:deciding finiteness of the solution set,deciding boundness of the set of maximal exponents of periodicity of solutions. The approach can be generalized to solve in PSPACE three problems for expressible relations, namely the emptiness of the relation, finiteness of the relation and boundness of the set of maximal exponents of periodicity of elements of the relation.