Analysis of Sequential Machines

This paper begins with Mealy´s model of a sequential machine and introduces a ``connection matrix´´ which describes the machine completely. The ``equivalence´´ of states of such a machine may be analyzed systematically by an iterative technique, the validity of which is rigorously established. Once equivalence is completely analyzed, it is a simple matter to write the connection matrix for the simplest equivalent machine. The process is not difficult to execute, even in complex cases, and could be programmed for a computer.