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arXiv:2305.18278cs.CL

Mathematical Structure of Syntactic Merge

Matilde Marcolli, Noam Chomsky, Robert Berwick

Abstract

The syntactic Merge operation of the Minimalist Program in linguistics can be described mathematically in terms of Hopf algebras, with a formalism similar to the one arising in the physics of renormalization. This mathematical formulation of Merge has good descriptive power, as phenomena empirically observed in linguistics can be justified from simple mathematical arguments. It also provides a possible mathematical model for externalization and for the role of syntactic parameters.

arXiv comments
Journal reference
DOI
Subjects
cs.CLComputation and Language math.QAQuantum Algebra math.RARings and Algebras

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Linked by 2 identifiable commenters in 2 comments across 2 threads, from Jun 2023 to May 2025.

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  1. Chomsky on what ChatGPT is good for (2023) 1 comment

    • Huh, cool - these papers are from 2023, same year as the article. https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.06189 https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.10270 https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.18278

      furyofantaresView on HNParent context

  2. Many in the AI field think the bigger-is-better approach is running out of road 1 comment

    • Sounds very much like {Matilde Marcolli, Noam Chomsky, Robert Berwick}’s brand new paper on the mathematics of Syntactic Merge [0]: workspace :: nested forests of binary trees of syntactic structures (with no label order) (= here, thoughts and meanings are assumed to be…

      pizzaView on HNParent context

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