Weighted Automata Algorithms

Abstract

Weighted automata and transducers are widely used in modern applications in bioinformatics and text, speech, and image processing. This chapter describes several fundamental weighted automata and shortest-distance algorithms including composition, determinization, minimization, and synchronization, as well as single-source and all-pairs shortest distance algorithms over general semirings. It presents the pseudocode of these algorithms, gives an analysis of their running time complexity, and illustrates their use in some simple cases. Many other complex weighted automata and transducer algorithms used in practice can be obtained by combining these core algorithms.