Proving this language is non context-free

Question

How can I prove that the language $\{ab^kab^kab^k\subset \{a,b\}^* | k \geq 0\}$ is non context-free? I've tried applying the pumping lemma but can't write a proof without considering multiple different cases of possible subwords.

Answer 1

Assume that the language is context-free. Then the pumping lemma says (since the language is clearly infinite) that there is a string in the language that splits into $uvwxy$ such that $uv^nwx^ny$ is in the language for every $n\ge 0$ and $v, x$ are not both empty. In particular, both $uvwxy$ and $uwy$ are in the language.

Now neither $v$ nor $x$ can contain an $a$, because then $uvwxy$ and $uwy$ would have different numbers of $a$s, but every word in the language has exactly 3 $a$s. So both $v$ and $x$ must consist entirely of $b$s.

However, then going from $uvwxy$ ot $uwy$ would correspond to taking one or more $b$s away from at most two of the $b^k$ groups in $uvwxy$, so $uwy$ cannot be in the language after all.