A Technique for Generating Almost Optimal Floyd-Evans Productions for Precedence Grammars A technique is developed for generating almost optimal Floyd-Evans productions given a precedence grammar. A graph formulation is used for the problem of merging productions. The productions generated correspond to the minimum cost inverse-arborescence of that graph. The validity of the technique is demonstrated for weak precedence grammars defined here, but the productions mechanically generated for any precedence grammar can often be modified in such a way that correct, almost optimal parsers are obtained. CACM August, 1970 Ichbiah, J. D. Morse, S. P. translator writing systems, syntactic analysis, Floyd-Evans productions, precedence grammars, translator optimization, merger algorithm, minimum cost inverse-arborescence, graph theory 4.12 5.23 5.32 CA700806 JB February 10, 19783:38 PM 1379 4 2015 1665 4 2015 1693 4 2015 1768 4 2015 1781 4 2015 1787 4 2015 1824 4 2015 1825 4 2015 1836 4 2015 1836 4 2015 1861 4 2015 1945 4 2015 2015 4 2015 2015 4 2015 2060 4 2015 2061 4 2015 2091 4 2015 2110 4 2015 2127 4 2015 2179 4 2015 2187 4 2015 2317 4 2015 2545 4 2015 2546 4 2015 2698 4 2015 2698 4 2015 2708 4 2015 2733 4 2015 3045 4 2015 1477 5 2015 1781 5 2015 2015 5 2015 2015 5 2015 2015 5 2015 2179 5 2015 2423 5 2015 1337 6 2015 1477 6 2015 1491 6 2015 1825 6 2015 2015 6 2015 2015 6 2015 2110 6 2015 3184 6 2015