Getting Started

The simulation interface consists of three main components:

1. DFA State Diagram: A visual representation of the current automaton showing states and transitions
2. Input String Panel: Displays the current input string being processed
3. Execution Trace: Shows the step-by-step execution history

Available DFA Examples

The simulation includes five pre-configured DFA examples:

1. DFA 1: Accepts strings that begin with "01"
2. DFA 2: Accepts strings containing exactly three 1s
3. DFA 3: Accepts strings that end with "0"
4. DFA 4: Accepts strings with at least one 0 and ending with 1
5. DFA 5: Accepts strings where the first occurrence of 0 is in a group of at least three consecutive 0s

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Selecting a DFA

Click the "Change DFA" button to cycle through the five available automata. Each DFA has a description explaining the language it accepts. The current DFA's description is displayed above the state diagram.

2. Choosing Input Strings

Click the "Change Input" button to cycle through different pre-configured test strings for the current DFA. Each DFA comes with multiple example strings that demonstrate both accepted and rejected cases.

3. Understanding the Interface

• Start State: Marked with an incoming arrow and typically labeled "A"
• Accept States: Shown with double circles
• Current State: Highlighted in blue during execution
• Processed Characters: Displayed with a darker background in the input string
• Current Character: Highlighted with a distinct color

4. Stepping Through Execution

Initial Setup

When you load a DFA and input string, the automaton starts in the initial state before processing any characters.

Forward Execution

Click the "Next Step" button to advance the automaton one character at a time:

• The current character is highlighted in the input string
• The automaton transitions to the next state according to the transition function
• Each step is recorded in the execution trace
• The current state is visually highlighted in the diagram

Backward Execution

Click the "Previous" button to step backward through the execution:

• Returns to the previous state
• Removes the last step from the execution trace
• Updates the input string highlighting

5. Interactive Guessing Feature

The simulation includes an interactive quiz mode that helps reinforce learning:

How It Works

• When clicking "Next Step", you may be prompted to guess the next state
• A modal dialog appears showing the current state and character being read
• Select your predicted next state from the available options
• Receive immediate feedback on your guess

Streak System

• Correct guesses increase your current streak
• Your best streak is automatically saved
• Incorrect guesses reset your current streak
• Use the "Reset" button to clear your streak counters

Skip Option

If you're unsure about a transition, you can click "Skip Guess" to proceed without making a prediction, though this will reset your current streak.

6. Reading the Execution Trace

The execution trace panel provides a detailed history of the automaton's execution:

• Each line shows a state transition
• Format: "State X --character--> State Y"
• Special notation for string completion and acceptance/rejection
• Automatically scrolls to show the most recent steps

7. Understanding Results

String Acceptance

• If the automaton ends in an accept state after processing all characters, the string is accepted
• The final trace entry will indicate "String Accepted"

String Rejection

• If the automaton ends in a non-accept state after processing all characters, the string is rejected
• The final trace entry will indicate "String Rejected"