concept of a finite automaton in lexical analysis.

In lexical analysis, a finite automaton is a computational model used to recognize patterns in text, such as tokens in source code. It consists of:

• States: Different conditions or stages in the processing.
• Alphabet: Set of symbols (characters) the automaton reads.
• Transitions: Rules that define how the automaton moves between states based on the input symbols.
• Start State: The initial state where processing begins.
• Accepting States: States that indicate successful recognition of a pattern.

A finite automaton processes input symbol by symbol, transitioning between states according to its rules. If it ends in an accepting state after processing the entire input, it recognizes the input as matching a particular pattern.

In short, finite automata efficiently scan and recognize patterns in text, making them crucial for tokenizing source code in compilers.