We consider the cyclic closure of a language, and its generalisation to the operators $C^k$ introduced by Brandstadt. We prove that the cyclic closure of an indexed language is indexed, and that if $L$ is a context-free language then $C^k(L)$ is indexed.
We study the links between the topological complexity of an omega context free language and its degree of ambiguity. In particular, using known facts from classical descriptive set theory, we prove that non Borel omega context free languages which ar
e recognized by Buchi pushdown automata have a maximum degree of ambiguity. This result implies that degrees of ambiguity are really not preserved by the operation of taking the omega power of a finitary context free language. We prove also that taking the adherence or the delta-limit of a finitary language preserves neither unambiguity nor inherent ambiguity. On the other side we show that methods used in the study of omega context free languages can also be applied to study the notion of ambiguity in infinitary rational relations accepted by Buchi 2-tape automata and we get first results in that direction.
Let $G$ be a quasi-transitive, locally finite, connected graph rooted at a vertex $o$, and let $c_n(o)$ be the number of self-avoiding walks of length $n$ on $G$ starting at $o$. We show that if $G$ has only thin ends, then the generating function $F
_{mathrm{SAW},o}(z)=sum_{n geq 0} c_n(o) z^n$ is an algebraic function. In particular, the connective constant of such a graph is an algebraic number. If $G$ is deterministically edge labelled, that is, every (directed) edge carries a label such that any two edges starting at the same vertex have different labels, then the set of all words which can be read along the edges of self-avoiding walks starting at $o$ forms a language denoted by $L_{mathrm{SAW},o}$. Assume that the group of label-preserving graph automorphisms acts quasi-transitively. We show that $L_{mathrm{SAW},o}$ is a $k$-multiple context-free language if and only if the size of all ends of $G$ is at most $2k$. Applied to Cayley graphs of finitely generated groups this says that $L_{mathrm{SAW},o}$ is multiple context-free if and only if the group is virtually free.
Context-Free Grammars (CFGs) and Parsing Expression Grammars (PEGs) have several similarities and a few differences in both their syntax and semantics, but they are usually presented through formalisms that hinder a proper comparison. In this paper w
e present a new formalism for CFGs that highlights the similarities and differences between them. The new formalism borrows from PEGs the use of parsing expressions and the recognition-based semantics. We show how one way of removing non-determinism from this formalism yields a formalism with the semantics of PEGs. We also prove, based on these new formalisms, how LL(1) grammars define the same language whether interpreted as CFGs or as PEGs, and also show how strong-LL(k), right-linear, and LL-regular grammars have simple language-preserving translations from CFGs to PEGs.
We show that, from a topological point of view, considering the Borel and the Wadge hierarchies, 1-counter Buchi automata have the same accepting power than Turing machines equipped with a Buchi acceptance condition. In particular, for every non null
recursive ordinal alpha, there exist some Sigma^0_alpha-complete and some Pi^0_alpha-complete omega context free languages accepted by 1-counter Buchi automata, and the supremum of the set of Borel ranks of context free omega languages is the ordinal gamma^1_2 which is strictly greater than the first non recursive ordinal. This very surprising result gives answers to questions of H. Lescow and W. Thomas [Logical Specifications of Infinite Computations, In:A Decade of Concurrency, LNCS 803, Springer, 1994, p. 583-621].
We survey recent results on the topological complexity of context-free omega-languages which form the second level of the Chomsky hierarchy of languages of infinite words. In particular, we consider the Borel hierarchy and the Wadge hierarchy of non-
deterministic or deterministic context-free omega-languages. We study also decision problems, the links with the notions of ambiguity and of degrees of ambiguity, and the special case of omega-powers.