Regular Languages are closed under intersection, i.e., if L1 and L2 are regular then L1 ∩ L2 is also regular. L1 and L2 are regular • L1 ∪ L2 is regular • Hence, L1 ∩ L2 = L1 ∪ L2 is regular.
Reversal. Statement: Under reversal, the set of regular languages is closed. Proof: Let M be a deterministic finite automaton that accepts L; we will create M' from M so that M and M' states are the same. Make the final state of M the accepting state of M' and the final state of M the beginning state of M'.
Regular Languages are closed under complementation, i.e., if L is regular then L = Σ∗ \ L is also regular.
What are closure properties of regular languages? Regular languages are closed under complement, union, intersection, concatenation, Kleene star, reversal, homomorphism, and substitution.
Languages in P are also closed under reversal, intersection, union, concatenation, Kleene closure, inverse homomorphism, and complementation.
Consider the homomorphism unpair : ∆∗ → Σ∗ where unpair((a, b)) = ab. Now, unpair(L3) = perfect shuffle(A, B), and so regular languages are closed under the perfect shuffle operation.
The set of regular languages is closed under complementation. The complement of language L, written L, is all strings not in L but with the same alphabet. The statement says that if L is a regular lan- guage, then so is L. To see this fact, take deterministic FA for L and interchange the accept and reject states.
Intersection. Theorem If L1 and L2 are regular languages, then the new language L = L1 ∩ L2 is regular. Proof By De Morgan's law, L = L1 ∩ L2 = L1 ∪ L2. By the previous two theorems this language is regular.
Closure under Union For any regular languages L and M, then L ∪ M is regular. Proof: Since L and M are regular, they have regular expressions, say: Let L = L(E) and M = L(F). Then L ∪ M = L(E + F) by the definition of the + operator.
Let L be a regular language, and M be an NFA that accepts it. Here, δR is δ with the direction of all the arcs reversed. Thus, it is proved that L is closed under reversal.