Inf-Datalog extends the usual least fixpoint semantics of Datalog with greatest fixpoint semantics: we defined inf-Datalog and characterized the expressive power of various fragments of inf-Datalog in [CITE]. In the present paper, we study the complexity of query evaluation on finite models for (various fragments of) inf-Datalog. We deduce a unified and elementary proof that global model-checking (i.e. computing all nodes satisfying a formula in a given structure) has 1. quadratic data complexity in time and linear program complexity in space for CTL and alternation-free modal μ-calculus, and 2. linear-space (data and program) complexities, linear-time program complexity and polynomial-time data complexity for Lµk (modal μ-calculus with fixed alternation-depth at most k).

It is well-known that some of the most basic properties of words, like the commutativity (xy = yx) and the conjugacy (xz = zy), can be expressed as solutions of word equations. An important problem is to decide whether or not a given equation on words has a solution. For instance, the equation xMyN = zP has only periodic solutions in a free monoid, that is, if xMyN = zP holds with integers m,n,p ≥ 2, then there exists a word w such that x, y, z are powers of w. This result, which received a lot of attention, was first proved by Lyndon and Schützenberger for free groups. In this paper, we investigate equations on partial words. Partial words are sequences over a finite alphabet that may contain a number of “do not know” symbols. When we speak about equations on partial words, we replace the notion of equality (=) with compatibility (↑). Among other equations, we solve xy ↑ yx, xz ↑ zy, and special cases of xmyn ↑ zp for integers m,n,p ≥ 2. 


Let w be an infinite fixed point of a binary k-uniform morphism f, and let Ew be the critical exponent of w. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for Ew to be bounded, and an explicit formula to compute it when it is. In particular, we show that Ew is always rational. We also sketch an extension of our method to non-uniform morphisms over general alphabets.

We present the first (polynomial-time) algorithm for reducing a given deterministic finite state automaton (DFA) into a hyper-minimized DFA, which may have fewer states than the classically minimized DFA. The price we pay is that the language recognized by the new machine can differ from the original on a finite number of inputs. These hyper-minimized automata are optimal, in the sense that every DFA with fewer states must disagree on infinitely many inputs. With small modifications, the construction works also for finite state transducers producing outputs. Within a class of finitely differing languages, the hyper-minimized automaton is not necessarily unique. There may exist several non-isomorphic machines using the minimum number of states, each accepting a separate language finitely-different from the original one. We will show that there are large structural similarities among all these smallest automata.

We discuss some known and introduce some new hierarchies and reducibilities on regular languages, with the emphasis on the quantifier-alternation and difference hierarchies of the quasi-aperiodic languages. The non-collapse of these hierarchies and decidability of some levels are established. Complete sets in the levels of the hierarchies under the polylogtime and some quantifier-free reducibilities are found. Some facts about the corresponding degree structures are established. As an application, we characterize the regular languages whose balanced leaf-language classes are contained in the polynomial hierarchy. For any discussed reducibility we try to give motivations and open questions, in a hope to convince the reader that the study of these reducibilities is interesting for automata theory and computational complexity.

We study two topological properties of the 5-ary n-cube $Q_{n}^{5}$. Given two arbitrary distinct nodes x and y in $Q_{n}^{5}$, we prove that there exists an x-y path of every length ranging from 2n to 5n - 1, where n ≥ 2. Based on this result, we prove that $Q_{n}^{5}$ is 5-edge-pancyclic by showing that every edge in $Q_{n}^{5}$ lies on a cycle of every length ranging from 5 to 5n.

We study the palindromic complexity of infinite words uβ, the fixed points of the substitution over a binary alphabet, φ(0) = 0a1, φ(1) = 0b1, with a - 1 ≥ b ≥ 1, which are canonically associated with quadratic non-simple Parry numbers β.

We show that any positive integer is the least period of a factor of the Thue-Morse word. We also characterize the set of least periods of factors of a Sturmian word. In particular, the corresponding set for the Fibonacci word is the set of Fibonacci numbers. As a by-product of our results, we give several new proofs and tightenings of well-known properties of Sturmian words.