Getting Started

1. Access the Simulation Interface

   • The main panel displays the current NFA state diagram with labeled states and transitions
   • The Quick Guide on the left provides step-by-step instructions for the conversion process
   • Control buttons are arranged horizontally at the top for easy access

2. Choose Your NFA

   • Click the "Change NFA" button to cycle through 4 different sample NFAs
   • Each NFA has varying complexity levels, from simple branching to advanced diamond structures
   • The current NFA description appears above the state diagram
   • Select an NFA that matches your learning level or specific interests

   

State Elimination Process

3. Initialize Conversion

   • Click "Start Conversion" to begin the transformation process
   • The system prepares the NFA for state elimination by identifying eligible intermediate states
   • Start and accept states are highlighted and cannot be eliminated
   • The current regular expression display shows "Conversion started"

4. Select States for Elimination

   • Click directly on any intermediate state in the diagram to select it for elimination
   • Selected states are highlighted with a distinct visual indicator
   • Only non-start, non-accept states can be selected (start and accept states appear dimmed)
   • The "Eliminate State" button becomes enabled when a valid state is selected

5. Execute State Elimination

   • Click "Eliminate State" to remove the selected state from the NFA
   • Watch as the system recalculates all transition paths around the eliminated state
   • Incoming transitions to the eliminated state are identified and marked
   • Outgoing transitions from the eliminated state are traced and highlighted
   • Self-loops on the eliminated state are incorporated using Kleene star operations

6. Observe Regular Expression Construction

   • The "Current Regular Expression" panel updates in real-time during elimination
   • New transition labels are constructed using regex operations:
     • Concatenation: Sequential path combinations (incoming + self-loop* + outgoing)
     • Union: Multiple parallel paths between the same states
     • Kleene Star: Self-loops converted to repetition patterns
   • Expression simplification occurs automatically using algebraic laws

Controls

7. Navigation and Review

   • Use "Step Back" to undo the last elimination and return to the previous state
   • The system maintains a complete history of elimination steps for review
   • Compare different elimination orders by stepping back and choosing alternative states
   • Observe how elimination order affects intermediate expression complexity

8. Reset and Retry

   • Click "Reset" to return the current NFA to its original state
   • All eliminated states are restored with their original transitions
   • The regular expression display returns to the initial "Click Start Conversion" message
   • Experiment with different elimination sequences for the same NFA