In theoretical computer science and formal language theory, a regular language is a formal language that can be expressed using a regular expression. Note that the "regular expression" features provided with many programming languages are augmented with features that make them capable of recognizing languages that can not be expressed by the formal regular expressions (as formally defined below).
In the Chomsky hierarchy, regular languages are defined to be the languages that are generated by Type-3 grammars (regular grammars). Regular languages are very useful in input parsing and programming language design.
Read more about Regular Language: Formal Definition, Equivalence To Other Formalisms, Closure Properties, Deciding Whether A Language Is Regular, Complexity Results, Subclasses, The Number of Words in A Regular Language, Generalizations
Famous quotes containing the words regular and/or language:
““I couldn’t afford to learn it,” said the Mock Turtle with a sigh. “I only took the regular course.”
“What was that?” inquired Alice.
“Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied; “and then the different branches of Arithmetic—Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.”
“I never heard of ‘Uglification,’” Alice ventured to say.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“The problems of society will also be the problems of the predominant language of that society. It is the carrier of its perceptions, its attitudes, and its goals, for through it, the speakers absorb entrenched attitudes. The guilt of English then must be recognized and appreciated before its continued use can be advocated.”
—Njabulo Ndebele (b. 1948)