Theory of Computation : Study Materials (CSE, GATE, JEE)

Theory of Computation : The theory of computation is a field of study within computer science and mathematics that deals with the theoretical aspects of computing. It seeks to understand the fundamental principles of computation and to explore the limits and possibilities of what can be computed.

The theory of computation is concerned with the study of models of computation, such as automata, Turing machines, and formal languages. It investigates the power and limitations of these models, and their relationship to the classes of problems that can be solved by computers.

The theory of computation is also concerned with the study of computational complexity, which is the study of the amount of resources, such as time and space, that are required to solve a computational problem. It seeks to understand the complexity of different algorithms and to classify problems according to their complexity.

Some important topics in the theory of computation include:

Automata theory: the study of finite state machines, pushdown automata, and other models of computation.

Formal languages: the study of sets of strings that can be generated by a formal grammar.

Computability theory: the study of the limits of computation, and the types of problems that can be solved by a computer.

Complexity theory: the study of the resources required to solve a computational problem, and the classification of problems according to their complexity.

The theory of computation has many practical applications, including the design and analysis of algorithms, the development of programming languages, and the study of cryptography and information security.

Here we have following study materials for your exam preparations :

TOC Study Materials (GTU Exams)

TOC GTU Syllabus (Gujarat Technological University)

TOC (3160704)  Darshan Institute Study Materials

TOC (2160704) Darshan Institute Study Materials

TOC Technical Book (As per GTU Syllabus)

TOC (3160704) GTU Exam Papers

TOC Handwritten Notes

TOC GATE Syllabus

The Theory of Computation has many topics like the conversion from NFA to DFA, Mealy and Moore machines, and much more. The expected topic-wise weightage of this section in the exam is 7.6 %. All the topics are distributed under the following parts for the GATE exam syllabus for CSE.

• Regular expressions and finite automata.
• Context-free grammars and push-down automata.
• Regular and context-free languages, pumping lemma.
• Turing machines and undecidability.

There are many great resources available for studying the theory of computation. Here are some suggestions:

• "Introduction to the Theory of Computation" by Michael Sipser - This is a widely used textbook for studying the theory of computation. It covers topics such as automata theory, formal languages, computability, and complexity theory.
• "Automata, Computability, and Complexity: Theory and Applications" by Elaine Rich - This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory of computation, including formal languages, automata theory, computability, and complexity theory.
• "Theory of Computation" course on MIT OpenCourseWare - This is a free online course that covers the theory of computation, including regular languages and finite automata, context-free languages and pushdown automata, and Turing machines and computability.
• "Theory of Computation" course on Udacity - This is a free online course that covers the basics of the theory of computation, including finite automata, regular expressions, context-free grammars, and Turing machines.
• "Theory of Computation" course on Coursera - This is a free online course that covers the basics of the theory of computation, including finite automata, regular expressions, context-free grammars, and Turing machines.
• "Computational Complexity" course on Stanford Online - This is a free online course that covers the basics of complexity theory, including time and space complexity, NP-completeness, and the polynomial hierarchy.
• "Foundations of Computer Science" course on edX - This is a free online course that covers the basics of the theory of computation, including automata theory, computability, and complexity theory.

Frequently Asked Question

1. What is the theory of computation?

The theory of computation is a field of study within computer science and mathematics that deals with the theoretical aspects of computing. It seeks to understand the fundamental principles of computation and to explore the limits and possibilities of what can be computed.

2. What are some important topics in the theory of computation?

Some important topics in the theory of computation include automata theory, formal languages, computability theory, and complexity theory.

3. What is an automaton?

An automaton is a mathematical model of computation that is used to recognize or generate strings. Examples of automata include finite state machines and pushdown automata.

4. What are formal languages?

A formal language is a set of strings that can be generated by a formal grammar. Formal languages are used in many areas of computer science, including programming languages, compilers, and natural language processing.

5. What is computability theory?

Computability theory is the study of the limits of computation, and the types of problems that can be solved by a computer. It seeks to understand which problems are computable, and which problems are not.

6. What is complexity theory?

Complexity theory is the study of the resources required to solve a computational problem, and the classification of problems according to their complexity. It seeks to understand the difficulty of different computational problems, and to develop efficient algorithms for solving them.

7. What are some practical applications of the theory of computation?

The theory of computation has many practical applications, including the design and analysis of algorithms, the development of programming languages, and the study of cryptography and information security.