1,940 research outputs found
On Descriptive Complexity, Language Complexity, and GB
We introduce , a monadic second-order language for reasoning about
trees which characterizes the strongly Context-Free Languages in the sense that
a set of finite trees is definable in iff it is (modulo a
projection) a Local Set---the set of derivation trees generated by a CFG. This
provides a flexible approach to establishing language-theoretic complexity
results for formalisms that are based on systems of well-formedness constraints
on trees. We demonstrate this technique by sketching two such results for
Government and Binding Theory. First, we show that {\em free-indexation\/}, the
mechanism assumed to mediate a variety of agreement and binding relationships
in GB, is not definable in and therefore not enforcible by CFGs.
Second, we show how, in spite of this limitation, a reasonably complete GB
account of English can be defined in . Consequently, the language
licensed by that account is strongly context-free. We illustrate some of the
issues involved in establishing this result by looking at the definition, in
, of chains. The limitations of this definition provide some insight
into the types of natural linguistic principles that correspond to higher
levels of language complexity. We close with some speculation on the possible
significance of these results for generative linguistics.Comment: To appear in Specifying Syntactic Structures, papers from the Logic,
Structures, and Syntax workshop, Amsterdam, Sept. 1994. LaTeX source with
nine included postscript figure
Linguistics and some aspects of its underlying dynamics
In recent years, central components of a new approach to linguistics, the
Minimalist Program (MP) have come closer to physics. Features of the Minimalist
Program, such as the unconstrained nature of recursive Merge, the operation of
the Labeling Algorithm that only operates at the interface of Narrow Syntax
with the Conceptual-Intentional and the Sensory-Motor interfaces, the
difference between pronounced and un-pronounced copies of elements in a
sentence and the build-up of the Fibonacci sequence in the syntactic derivation
of sentence structures, are directly accessible to representation in terms of
algebraic formalism. Although in our scheme linguistic structures are classical
ones, we find that an interesting and productive isomorphism can be established
between the MP structure, algebraic structures and many-body field theory
opening new avenues of inquiry on the dynamics underlying some central aspects
of linguistics.Comment: 17 page
CLiFF Notes: Research In Natural Language Processing at the University of Pennsylvania
CLIFF is the Computational Linguists\u27 Feedback Forum. We are a group of students and faculty who gather once a week to hear a presentation and discuss work currently in progress. The \u27feedback\u27 in the group\u27s name is important: we are interested in sharing ideas, in discussing ongoing research, and in bringing together work done by the students and faculty in Computer Science and other departments.
However, there are only so many presentations which we can have in a year. We felt that it would be beneficial to have a report which would have, in one place, short descriptions of the work in Natural Language Processing at the University of Pennsylvania. This report then, is a collection of abstracts from both faculty and graduate students, in Computer Science, Psychology and Linguistics. We want to stress the close ties between these groups, as one of the things that we pride ourselves on here at Penn is the communication among different departments and the inter-departmental work.
Rather than try to summarize the varied work currently underway at Penn, we suggest reading the abstracts to see how the students and faculty themselves describe their work. The report illustrates the diversity of interests among the researchers here, as well as explaining the areas of common interest. In addition, since it was our intent to put together a document that would be useful both inside and outside of the university, we hope that this report will explain to everyone some of what we are about
From the Origins of Government and Binding to the Current State of Minimalism
This chapter provides a review of the current Chomskyan approach to the study of human language, known as the Minimalist Program. It offers an overview of the central ideas that were central in shaping the program, in particular Government and Binding Theory. It presents an outline of what the essential ideas of the program are, focusing in particular on how the Minimalist Program is seen as a natural development of Government and Binding Theory. Then it discusses a few current developments within the program. In general, the chapter aims to provide an overview in broad strokes, and therefore it focuses on conceptual and theoretical issues rather than technical or empirical results
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