Foreword

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.—James Bryce

In the history of science and technology, if any branch has ever changed the prospective face of the world, it is nothing else but Computer Science and Engineering known as CSE microscopically in this gradually becoming short and nano society(!) The subject of automata theory is an important component of CSE, among others. It is said that it is “the study of abstract machine and the problems which they are able to solve.” Thus, it is by right a primary and core part of CSE.

Many books on automata theory are available in the market and all these books have obvious attractions as well as drawbacks. Any attempt to author a book with authority to please everyone is next to impossible. Even any academic exercise to attain the defined objectives and decisive targets deserves commendation and encouragement. Thus, so I think the current book authored by Shyamalendu Kandar is a definite scholastic exercise that I am sure will fulfill the aspirations of undergraduate students of CSE and those of related interdisciplinary subjects. The book is written in easily understandable and simple language and contains a large number of solved problems, MCQs and exercises.

I would like to congratulate Shyamalendu for this bold academic productivity. Shyamalendu feels that he is a student of mine and, therefore, as a teacher I feel proud of him. I wish him ever growing success in the days to come!

Last but not the least, I am a firm believer that “Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more.” Shyamalendu proves this by his present academic work that he belongs to the family of good teachers who are costly by their own right and choice.

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.—Mark Twain

Prof. Chandan Tilak Bhunia, SMIEEE

Director, BITM, Bolpur, West Bengal, India

and

Senior Associate, ICTP, Italy

Foreword

Computer Science and Engineering is considered as a modern field of engineering education. It is an emerging field of technical education and the theory of computation is a core subject of computer science.

This book by Shyamalendu Kandar is written in a simple language, easily understood by undergraduate students. It contains a large number of figures and many solved problems, exercises and multiple choice questions with each chapter to help students in understanding and learning the subject. The main feature of this book is that it is written in an interactive way. When a student goes through the book he is in a classroom and a teacher is taking his/her class related to the subject matter. Difficult sections of the subject are also explained lucidly in this book.

I congratulate Shyamalendu for writing this book. Shyamalendu is a student of mine and now working as a lecturer in Computer Science Department of my institute. I am proud of him and wish him the best of success!

Prof. M.M. Bag
Director, Haldia Institute of Technology
Haldia, West Bengal