State Machines

A state machine is a behavioral model in computer science that describes a system using a finite number of conditions, or "states." At any given moment, the system exists in only one of these states and can move to another—a process called a "transition"—only when a specific input or event occurs. This simple yet powerful concept is fundamental for designing predictable, event-driven systems, and is widely used in everything from controlling traffic lights and vending machines to designing complex software like video game AI, user interfaces, and network protocols.

1. Introduction to State Machines
   1. Core Concepts
      1. Definition of a State Machine
      2. Components of a State Machine
         1. States
         2. Transitions
         3. Events
         4. Actions
      3. State Representation
         1. State Variables
         2. State Identifiers
      4. Transition Representation
         1. Triggering Events
         2. Guard Conditions
         3. Transition Actions
      5. State Machine Execution Cycle
         1. Event Processing
         2. State Updates
   2. Purpose and Benefits
      1. Modeling System Behavior
         1. Abstraction of System Dynamics
         2. Event-Driven Logic Representation
      2. Predictability and Determinism
         1. Deterministic Behavior
         2. Execution Repeatability
      3. Event-Driven System Handling
         1. Event Processing Mechanisms
         2. Asynchronous Event Handling
         3. Synchronous Event Handling
      4. Complex Logic Simplification
         1. Behavioral Decomposition
         2. Modularity
         3. Maintainability