Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

nfa

noun

en-eff-ay

Definition

NFA stands for Non-deterministic Finite Automaton, which is a mathematical model used in computer science to represent and manipulate a set of states in a computational system.

Examples

The design of an NFA can simplify the process of creating language recognizers.
When implementing algorithms for pattern matching, understanding NFAs is essential.
Different states in an NFA can represent various conditions of a program’s execution.

Meaning

It is a type of automaton that, unlike deterministic finite automata, allows for multiple possible transitions for a given input from a certain state.