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International Workshop on Computer Science Logic

CSL 1994: Computer Science Logic pp 205–216Cite as

Logics for context-free languages

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 933))

Abstract

We define matchings, and show that they capture the essence of context-freeness. More precisely, we show that the class of context-free languages coincides with the class of those sets of strings which can be defined by sentences of the form ∃ bϕ, where ϕ is first order, b is a binary predicate symbol, and the range of the second order quantifier is restricted to the class of matchings. Several variations and extensions are discussed.

Work done while on sabbatical leave at the Universidad Politecnica di Catalunya

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Deutschland

    Clemens Lautemann & Thomas Schwentick

  2. McGill University Montreal, Canada

    Denis Thérien

Authors
  1. Clemens Lautemann
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  2. Thomas Schwentick
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  3. Denis Thérien
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Editor information

Leszek Pacholski Jerzy Tiuryn

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© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Lautemann, C., Schwentick, T., Thérien, D. (1995). Logics for context-free languages. In: Pacholski, L., Tiuryn, J. (eds) Computer Science Logic. CSL 1994. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 933. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0022257

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0022257

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-60017-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49404-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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