Customer Reviews

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages and Computation (Addison-Wesley series in computer science)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There is, strictly speaking, no in-between for this book: it's either 5 stars or zero stars depending on the intended use.

It's very simple: Don't use it if _____, and do use it if ____.

Do NOT even THINK of buying this book:

1. If this is going to be your first brush with formal languages and the theory of computation.

2. If you need to get motivated to learn the subject, and you need that "first grasp" on it.

3. If you're taking a first course in the subject, and if you have an IQ below 130!

On the other hand,

You MUST buy this book:

1. If you already have some background, and you want a larger picture.

2. If you will often need an authoritative source for proofs etc.

3. If you need a reference for formalizing concepts touched on elsewhere.

This slim volume is the standard reference for research in automata theory, languages, and computation (especially regular and context-free languages). For that, it gets five stars. As a textbook for students, however, it is dense, uneven, and confusing throughout. Generations of novice computer scientists have been soured forever on theory by being forced to endure this book in their undergraduate- and graduate-level theory courses.

Conclusion: buy this book and keep it on your shelf, with the other essential references, but if you want to *learn* the material, look elsewhere -- for example, Michael Sipser's excellent new textbook, _Introduction to the Theory of Computation_.

A predecessor of the book was published in 1969 titled "Formal Languages and Their Relation to Automata." It was re-written in 1979. This is a classical textbook for last year undergraduate students or postgraduate students in computer science, especially those who are going to deal with computer languages, artificial intellegence, compiler design, computational complexity and so on. One of the author, J. E. Hopcroft, is the Turing Award winner of 1987.

I have both versions of the book and I'd like recommend every computer science student spend some time on reading it.

This book may be an excellent reference text, but as a learning tool it is abysmal. It is confusing and takes a lot of knowledge for granted. I second earlier reviews and recommend Michael Sipser's "Introduction to the Theory of Computation" instead, which has to be one of the best books I've ever read for class.

This is *not* a good book to use as an introduction to computation theory (CT). If you *already* know CT and look at this book, everything will make perfect sense and seem 'obvious'. If this is your first exposure to CT, then this book will seem very confusing. There are far far better books to purchase if you wish to *learn* CT, namely "Introduction to the Theory of Computation" by Michael Sipser. Once you have the basics down, you will be able to appreciate the detail of the Hopcroft book.

As a reference book, however, it is very good. It is extremely concise which makes it easy to zoom in on definitions and theorems without having to wade through explanations.

If you are taking a course in CT and this is the text you are using, then I suggest either getting Sipser's book or hope you have a really good prof!

The book is a great book if you are a beginner in automata theory. The exercises are also very good and the book makes your fundamentals very strong. It is a must for any student of theoretical computer science.

My first exposure to Automata Theory backs to 1992, as a senior undergrad textbook for that course, which was mandatory and a prerequisite to the Compilers Course. (No student could take them together). Although I got the highest grade among over 80 students, but I was not getting enough comprehension from the class, as it should be. I admit it was due to the complexity and sophistication of that text, since this was the first course that 100% dedicated to computational theory; taking into account it is BS in Computer/COMPUTATIONAL Science.

In my MS work, the required text was By Sipser, but the instructor was giving material that was from Hopcroft/Ullman 1979 text. It was the definitive resource, period.

I purchased the 2nd Ed, 2000, Hopcroft/Ullman/Mitwani; it was simpler than the 1st Ed. and easy going. My focus, and all Professors and researchers whom I know who work in a related-area, have this exact edition as a reference when needed!

Chapter Contents and Material Exhibits
The chapters are relatively not big in text but are very-rich in contents, that sometimes, if this is your first read/exposure to Automata theory, then perhaps you may need to read each section more than one time. If you're reading the text in deep, and in chapter 4+, you would really have a full enjoyment of how the authors are going with their exploring the ideas, with motivation. This is not my first text that I read by Ullman, Hopecroft, and Aho, especially, their older texts; their writings are just "amazing."

Exercises
Try to solve the exercises but not at once. Perhaps the exercises can be divided into 4 categories
1. Simple ones
2. moderate (average), that mayhap need to scratch your brain
3. difficult (beyond average), but not challenging, they are just doable.
4. challenging --> I didn't solve all of this category. They are few.

An Advice: some of the exercises in early chapters might be easier to do once you read the later chapters. This is due in part that the way you are making progress in the material, and another, some depend on and only "ideas" that are explored in later chapters.

Errata
I've searched the Internet looking for a (maintainable) Errata list, but there's no one. The text has some typos, and otherwise very minor that you could easily spot. I'll mention some:
One of the, perhaps, typos, is in on of the examples related to the conversion between NFAs to DFAs. Another one also in an example to the PDAs, but don't remember exactly.

The Bottom Line
If you are going to have some future work in Automata and Computational theory, you may grab the 3rd Ed. and/or 2nd Ed. to star with, but for sure you should have the 1st Ed. at your disk; it's a "PRIMER."

This book comes before the dragon book and delivers important
theories like Finite Automata, BNF, Context Free Grammar, Turing
machine and etc. My philosophy for better understanding of
computer is to get a complete concept of the computer theory first, then try to simulate and code it. This book gives you
a clear concept of computer theory that can drive your brain
to think what a computer is and you can dry-run your program
without a desktop computer next to you.

(I'm talking about the FIRST EDITION of this book)
This book is a must for any student or professor in the field. I've heard the new edition is more readable but hides some minor details from you.
I can say some paragraphs could have been written in a friendlier way, but in a general sense the book is a bible in its topic.

A classic text on the subject and a must have for any student of computer science. If you have taken a course in discrete math as taught by most CS departments then this book should pose no overwhelming challenges. It also makes a great companion to Aho, Sethi and Ullman's "Dragon" book.