from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
automaton
automata
automata theory
<robotics, mathematics, algorithm> (Plural automata) A
machine, {robot}, or {formal system} designed to follow a
precise sequence of instructions.
Automata theory, the invention and study of automata, includes
the study of the capabilities and limitations of computing
processes, the manner in which systems receive input, process
it, and produce output, and the relationships between
behavioural theories and the operation and use of automated
devices.
See also {cellular automaton}, {finite state machine}.
(1996-04-23)