autómat

An autómat, or automaton in English, is a self-operating device or system that performs a sequence of operations automatically, often following a predefined set of rules or a programmed instruction. The term can refer to tangible machines, such as mechanical automatons, or to abstract models used in computer science and mathematics. In many languages, including Hungarian, autómat is closely related to the broader idea of an automaton.

Mechanical automata are physical devices designed to imitate lifelike actions or perform repetitive tasks. Historical examples include complex clockwork figures from ancient and early modern periods, as well as 18th- and 19th-century automata created by makers like Hero of Alexandria, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, and Jacques de Vaucanson. These devices demonstrate principles of gears, cams, and controlled motion without electronic control, and they influenced later developments in engineering and automation.

Automata theory is the branch of computer science and mathematics that studies abstract machines and the problems they can solve. Core models include finite automata, pushdown automata, and Turing machines, which describe how systems process input and change state. Deterministic and nondeterministic variants, nondeterministic machines, and the concept of universality (a machine capable of simulating any other machine) are central ideas. Cellular automata explore computation through simple rules on a grid, often producing complex behavior from simple interactions.

Applications span parsing and lexical analysis, compiler design, formal verification and model checking, protocol design, and the study of computational limits. Distinctions exist between automata as theoretical models and robots or automated devices that operate in the physical world, though both share the goal of performing tasks with minimal human intervention.