Confluence of algebraic rewriting systems

Convergent rewriting systems on algebraic structures give methods to solve decision problems, to prove coherence results, and to compute homological invariants. These methods are based on higher-dimensional extensions of the critical branching lemma that proves local confluence from confluence of the critical branchings. The analysis of local confluence of rewriting systems on algebraic structures, such as groups or linear algebras, is complicated because of the underlying algebraic axioms. This article introduces the structure of algebraic polygraph modulo that formalizes the interaction between the rules of an algebraic rewriting system and the inherent algebraic axioms, and we show a critical branching lemma for algebraic polygraphs. We deduce a critical branching lemma for rewriting systems on algebraic models whose axioms are specified by convergent modulo rewriting systems. We illustrate our constructions for string, linear, and group rewriting systems.

Derivational Complexity and Context-Sensitive Rewriting

Context-sensitive rewriting is a restriction of rewriting where reduction steps are allowed on specific arguments $$\mu (f)\subseteq \{1,\ldots ,k\}$$ μ ( f ) ⊆ { 1 , … , k } of k-ary function symbols f only. Terms which cannot be further rewritten in this way are called $$\mu $$ μ -normal forms. For left-linear term rewriting systems (TRSs), the so-called normalization via$$\mu $$ μ -normalization procedure provides a systematic way to obtain normal forms by the stepwise computation and combination of intermediate $$\mu $$ μ -normal forms. In this paper, we show how to obtain bounds on the derivational complexity of computations using this procedure by using bounds on the derivational complexity of context-sensitive rewriting. Two main applications are envisaged: Normalization via $$\mu $$ μ -normalization can be used with non-terminating TRSs where the procedure still terminates; on the other hand, it can be used to improve on bounds of derivational complexity of terminating TRSs as it discards many rewritings.

The Frobenius and Factor Universality Problems of the Kleene Star of a Finite Set of Words

We solve open problems concerning the Kleene star of a finite set of words over an alphabet . The Frobenius monoid problem is the question for a given finite set of words , whether the language is cofinite. We show that it is PSPACE-complete. We also exhibit an infinite family of sets such that the length of the longest words not in (when is cofinite) is exponential in the length of the longest words in and subexponential in the sum of the lengths of words in . The factor universality problem is the question for a given finite set of words , whether every word over is a factor (substring) of some word from . We show that it is also PSPACE-complete. Besides that, we exhibit an infinite family of sets such that the length of the shortest words not being a factor of any word in is exponential in the length of the longest words in and subexponential in the sum of the lengths of words in . This essentially settles in the negative the longstanding Restivo’s conjecture (1981) and its weak variations. All our solutions are based on one shared construction, and as an auxiliary general tool, we introduce the concept of set rewriting systems . Finally, we complement the results with upper bounds.

Parallel Multiset Rewriting Systems with Distorted Rules

Most of the parallel rewriting systems which model (or which are inspired by) natural/artificial phenomena consider fixed, a priori defined sets of string/multiset rewriting rules whose definitions do not change during the computation. Here we modify this paradigm by defining level-t distorted rules—rules for which during their applications one does not know the exact multiplicities of at most t∈N species of objects in their output (although one knows that such objects will appear at least once in the output upon the execution of this type of rules). Subsequently, we define parallel multiset rewriting systems with t-distorted computations and we study their computational capabilities when level-1 distorted catalytic promoted rules are used. We construct robust systems able to cope with the level-1 distortions and prove the computational universality of the model.

Diamond Subgraphs in the Reduction Graph of a One-Rule String Rewriting System

In this paper, we study a certain case of a subgraph isomorphism problem. We consider the Hasse diagram of the lattice Mk (the unique lattice with k + 2 elements and one anti-chain of length k) and find the maximal k for which it is isomorphic to a subgraph of the reduction graph of a given one-rule string rewriting system. We obtain a complete characterization for this problem and show that there is a dichotomy. There are one-rule string rewriting systems for which the maximal such k is 2 and there are cases where there is no maximum. No other intermediate option is possible.