An '''automaton''', is a logical '''machine''' that models the process of computation.


** Types of Automata **

   [Turing machine]:   

   [Finite state machine]:   

   [Deterministic finite state machine]:   

   [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushdown_automaton%|%pushdown automoton]:   

   . . . :   



** Description **

An automaton can also be used as a powerful '''control structure''', transcending the block-hierarchical paradigm of ''structured programming''.  The following pages are related:

   [A tiny state machine]:   

   [Finite state machines]:   

   [Automata in Tcl]:   

   [Goto in Tcl]:   

   [expect]:   


The need for such power is most often felt when parsing or doing [IPC].

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[AM] 2010-07-19: Quite apart from the above, automata are also studied as mathematical objects - see the book [http://www.wolframscience.com/thebook.html%|%A New kind of Science], by Stephen Wolfram, for instance. [A simple program with complex behaviour] is one example.


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