On LL(k) linear conjunctive grammars

Abstract: Linear conjunctive grammars are a family of formal grammars with an explicit conjunction operation allowed in the rules, which is notable for its computational equivalence fo one-way real-time cellular automata, also known as trellis automata. This paper investigates the LL($k$) subclass of linear conjunctive grammars, defined by analogy with the classical LL($k$) grammars: these are grammars that admit top-down linear-time parsing with $k$-symbol lookahead. Two results are presented. First, every LL($k$) linear conjunctive grammar can be transformed to an LL(1) linear conjunctive grammar, and, accordingly, the hierarchy with respect to $k$ collapses. Secondly, a parser for these grammars that works in linear time and uses logarithmic space is constructed, showing that the family of LL($k$) linear conjunctive languages is contained in the complexity class $L$.