Language equation

Language equations are mathematical statements that resemble numerical equations, but the variables assume values of formal languages rather than numbers. Instead of arithmetic operations in numerical equations, the variables are joined by language operations. Among the most common operations on two languages A and B are the set union AB, the set intersection AB, and the concatenation AB. Finally, as an operation taking a single operand, the set A* denotes the Kleene star of the language A. Therefore, language equations can be used to represent formal grammars, since the languages generated by the grammar must be the solution of a system of language equations.