Automata theory (also known as Theory Of Computation) is a theoretical branch of Computer Science and Mathematics, which mainly deals with the logic of computation with respect to simple machines, referred to as automata.
Automata* enables scientists to understand how machines compute the functions and solve problems. The main motivation behind developing Automata Theory was to develop methods to describe and analyze the dynamic behavior of discrete systems.
Automata originated from the word “Automaton” which is closely related to “Automation”.
Finite Automata(FA) is the simplest machine to recognize patterns. The finite automata or finite state machine is an abstract machine that has five elements or tuples. It has a set of states and rules for moving from one state to another but it depends upon the applied input symbol. Basically, it is an abstract model of a digital computer. The following figure shows some essential features of general automation.
