Some Subclasses of Linear Languages based on Nondeterministic Linear Automata

Abstract: In this paper we consider the class of lambda-nondeterministic linear automata as a model of the class of linear languages. As usual in other automata models, lambda-moves do not increase the acceptance power. The main contribution of this paper is to introduce the deterministic linear automata and even linear automata, i.e. the natural restriction of nondeterministic linear automata for the deterministic and even linear language classes, respectively. In particular, there are different, but not equivalents, proposals for the class of "deterministic" linear languages. We proved here that the class of languages accepted by the deterministic linear automata are not contained in any of the these classes and in fact they properly contain these classes. Another, contribution is the generation of an infinite hierarchy of formal languages, going from the class of languages accepted by deterministic linear automata and achieved, in the limit, the class of linear languages.