Classical results from algebra, such as Hilbert's Basis Theorem and Hilbert’s Nullstellensatz, have been used to decide equivalence for some classes of transducers, such as HDT0L (Honkala 2000) or more recently deterministic tree-to-string transducers (Seidl, Maneth, Kemper 2015). In this talk, we propose an abstraction of these methods. The goal is to investigate the scope of the “Hilbert method” for transducer equivalence that was described above.

Consider an algebra A in the sense of universal algebra, i.e. a set equipped with some operations. A grammar over A is like a context-free grammar, except that it generates a subset of the algebra A, and the rules use operations from the algebra A. The classical context-free grammars are the special case when the algebra A is the free monoid with concatenation. Using the “Hilbert method” one can decide certain properties of grammars over algebras that are fields or rings of polynomials over a field. The “Hilbert method” extends to grammars over certain well-behaved algebras that can be “coded” into fields or rings of polynomials. Finally, for these well-behaved algebras, one can also use the “Hilbert method” to decide the equivalence problem for transducers (of a certain transducer model that uses registers) that input trees and output elements of the well-behaved algebra.

In the talk, we give examples and non-examples of well-behaved algebras, and discuss the decidability / undecidability results connected to them. In particular:

-We show that equivalence is decidable for transducers that input (possibly ordered) trees and output unranked unordered trees.

-We show that equivalence is undecidable for transducers that input words and output polynomials over the rational numbers with one variable (but are allowed to use composition of polynomials).

Joint work with Mikołaj Bojańczyk, Janusz Schmude, Radosław Piórkowski at Warsaw University.