CFG stands for Context-Free Grammar. It is a formalism used in computer science and linguistics to describe the syntax or structure of a language. A CFG consists of a set of production rules that define how strings of symbols can be generated in the language. These rules specify the allowed patterns and combinations of symbols in a language, forming the grammar of that language.
In a CFG, there are two main components: a set of terminal symbols and a set of nonterminal symbols. Terminal symbols are the basic elements or "atoms" of the language, while nonterminal symbols represent groups or categories of symbols. The production rules then define how these symbols can be combined to generate valid strings in the language.
Each production rule consists of a nonterminal symbol, followed by an arrow (→), and a sequence of terminal and/or nonterminal symbols. This sequence represents the possible replacements for the nonterminal symbol in that rule. By applying these production rules repeatedly, starting from an initial nonterminal symbol, it is possible to generate valid strings that belong to the language described by the CFG.
CFGs are widely used in various areas of computer science, including programming language design, compiler construction, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence. They provide a rigorous and systematic way to define the syntax of a language, enabling the analysis, verification, and generation of valid strings in that language.
