An introduction to formal languages and automata

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1. ztreeOct 2019
   I've spent this entire year taking a break to learn fundamental CS(I'm not a CS graduate) Here are the books I found most useful/interesting: 1. The Annotated Turing by Charles Petzold : Used it because I had a hard time digesting the original Alan Turing paper 2. An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata by Peter Linz : To grab the concept of state machines 3. The description of sequential processes by Iverson 4. Clrs: Have kept it for reference

   Then I studied a matrix of math books, along with other CS books regarding compilers, operating systems etc. My aim was to get good enough understanding to comfortably digest the famous research papers.

   I am yet to find definitive books that teach a way of thinking on their own merit as a single book. Cs like others is a matrix of knowledge that clicks as a whole 'chunk' of understanding, changing the way you have thought about things like programming in general. I'm having a hard time explaining this.

   If you're not a CS graduate, I highly suggest simply going through academics of places teaching theoretical CS.

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2. seagullzAug 2019
   Jeff Erickson's Algorithms text is a great resource: http://jeffe.cs.illinois.edu/teaching/algorithms/

   The entire book -- including the portions labeled Models of Computation, Director's cut, and Extended Dance Remix -- presents accessible introduction to much of the CS theory landscape.

   Someone already praised the shorter book titled "Algorithms" by Dasgupta et al, and I second it. Tim Roughgarden's "Algorithms Illuminated" series is in this genre too.

   I'd also recommend the MIT lecture notes on Mathematics for CS: https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.042/spring18/mcs.pdf This is distinctive for its intuitive explanations with essential, approachable formalism. The exercises are fine too, if you are really mean it.

   Sipser's book on the Theory of Computation is great and the one by Hopcroft et al is also very good (as suggested by others). But the most beginner-friendly (or, light on math) coverage of this area is apparently in Peter Linz's book "Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata". An alternative flavor in the treatment of much of the same topics is in this free book: http://cs.brown.edu/people/jsavage/book/

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3. Mc91Mar 2019
   In my CS major, continuous math, discrete math, graph theory, probability and statistics, linear algebra etc. were prerequisites to other courses. So see if those books are blocked as a "threat to order".

   If those get through and he reads through them, try sending things like "An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata", "A First Course in Combinatorial Optimization" and this sort of thing.

   There are also prison reform groups like FAMM that you can talk to.

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4. erwanOct 2018
   That's a bit unfair, Hopcroft and Ullman is extensive and detailed by design. They invented the field AFAIK so this book ought to be deep as they use it to lay its foundations. If you - or lurkers - are looking for a solid, down-to-earth exploration of automata theory - but not so much proofs, then I would recommend these in no particular order:

   - "Introduction to the Theory of Computation" [Part I] by M. Sipser

   - "Introduction to Compiler Design" by Torben A. Mogensen

   - "An introduction to Formal Languages and Automata" by P. Linz

   - "Languages and Machines" by Thomas A. Sudkamp

   >Many of OP's objections come off as petty

   I have had the book in my hands, I have turned the pages and seen the typesetting myself. It's not an exaggeration. It looks like one of those books written by a typewriter with some of the lines are misaligned, except it wasn't and that is overall a pain to parse. Also the pages are small and margins wide.

   Why inflict that upon yourself when there are plenty of other books that show a modicum of effort in editing.

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5. DeathArrowApr 2020
   Those books cover a part of topics I've studied at the University:

   The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth

   Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas Cormen

   An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata by Peter Linz

   Probability and Statistics by by Morris H. DeGroot

   Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles by William Stallings

   Understanding Cryptography by Christof Paar

   Database Systems: Fundamentals of Design, Implementations and Management by by Peter Rob

   Principles of Concurrent and Distributed Programming: Algorithms and Models by M. Ben-Ari

   Introduction to Graph Theory by Richard Trudeau

   Advanced Data Structures by Peter Brass

   Ones and Zeros: Understanding Boolean Algebra, Digital Circuits, and the Logic of Sets by John Gregg

   An Introduction to Algebraic Structures by Joseph Landin

   Theory of Computation by S.N. Sivanandam

   You can always find more on https://cstheory.stackexchange.com/ or on some universities websites.

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