EFTA02495783.pdf
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From:
jeffrey E. <jeevacation@gmail.com>
Sent:
Monday, June 22, 2015 12:21 PM
To:
Noam Chomsky
Subject:
Re: Re:
lye read ten of yangs recent papers. I firmly believe that h=s computer science perceptions , limits his breadth. man=
in the past years on probabilistic learning. probabilit=es in language. . etc. not rigorous to say the least. ..=complex
formulas that ignore that statistics are not probabilities. =. over and over.. to have probability one needs . symmetry,
e=tropy, repetition. . the space of probabilities must be defined. =AO the lens into that space needs to be constrained.
the law of larg= numbers applies as a mirade formula to test the accuracy of prediction. = IT does not exist in language.
. one can toy with the statist=c generated all they like , but arriving at the structure of the spa=e, using that method is
hopeless. it is the mathematics of com=utation. thinking is not computation though it shares many similarit=es.
thinking I believe requires exploring fully the space of w=at is NOT the answer. When the military was trying to better
their t=rgeting ability , years of trying to hit the bulls eye with missiles =became easier when they turned the equation
on its head , and focused inst=ad of not missing. 1 minus the probability of failure. equals =uccess. . biology seems to
behave as exploring the space and =liminating what does not work in order to find the solution. computi=g goes
directly for the target. all possible combinations min=s the nonsense , equals coherent sentences.
On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 1=:13 PM, Noam Chomsky <
<mailto:chomsky@mit.e=u» wrote:
I follow up to the point where you wr=te "the organizing principle of the shape is language... =80 No doubt it
can (partially) be described in language, but that =99s not what you mean.
Zipf's law is a rank-frequenc= distribution. And also meaningless, as Mandelbrot showed 60 years a=o. I hope
Yang is clear about this. He surely knows.=/u>
Noam
From: jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.comj
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2015 2:48 PM
To: Noam Chomsky
Subject: Re: Re:
it is my failing not =ours. the old math requires numbers . too 'kiting. ( we can put a metric overlay on later
in the chain) i=agine a shape in real space. it is readily apparent if a line=either fits on the shape or not . how do you
know. ? =AO you compare the line with the shape. your visual system all=ws the mental shape to either map onto or
not onto the shape in a co=erent manner. the shape is not an input device ,it is an objec= . the organizing principle of
the shape is language, the shape is =AO a collection of grammars. lines on the shape are either coherent =r not.
coherent ones are legitimate sentences .
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yang is flexible in his use of the term probability... for example he in a number of papers refers to zipf as a
probabiltiy dis=ribution. i have checked a number of his papers after your last rema=k, I think it is a mistake. he
means that after empirical measurement . for ex word frequency, =AO. if ten times out of 100 the corpus has the
word x. =hen he describes the probablility of finding the word as 10 percent=C2 . this is not correct. it is only the
probablity of find=ng the word in the frequency list . but he is very accomplished at mathema=ical models.
On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 1:03 PM, Noam Chomsky <
<mailto
> =rote:
Interesting image, but I don'= see what it tells us about language.
The problem looks to me like this, ro=ghly.
Take, say, the human visual system.=C2 There's a genetic component that determines that humans
will=have a mammalian and not an insect visual system, and much else. Same wit= other subsystems of the organism —
"organs," =80 modules." Language in particular. The technical name fo= this component, whatever it turns out to be, is
UG. UG therefore de=ermines that certain systems are possible I-languages for humans, others are not. =1 presume that
is what the "biological organizing principle =9D for language is. It's plainly not an input system, though=it determines
possible input systems for human languages. I don =80 t see how we improve understanding by looking at it from this
perspective.</=pan>
A minor technical problem, not serious, has to do with distinguishing digit=1 infinity from continuity, like
continuous lines on the surface of a hemi=phere.
I think you'll find Yang inte=esting.
Noam
From: jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2015 10:52 PM
To: Noam Chomsky
Subject: Re: Re:
1.1 will wait on vale=ia. we can craft a fun few days
2, try this on but only if you get a moment , i know you =re busy
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it appear to me that ""language" can be defined as the=C2 biological organizing principle that creates a
shape spa=e. "coherent sentences " are defined as those that f=t on the shape. The projections on the sensory motors,
allows commun=cation. . There are an infinite digital number of sentences.that do fit on the shape , but=orders of
magnitude more, that do not fit.- to attempt a naive=representation, imagine a hemisphere, ( symmetric), =AO any
continuous line drawn on its surface , is a sentence. =C2 there are infinite numbers of lines that can be drawn. however
, try=ng to connect two points , directly without traversing the hemishpere =AO is also infinitely possible but most
solutions need to leav= the surface. The principle that organizes the shape is NOT an input device. one can map inputs
onto the shap= but it is not THE shape , ex, a hemisphere bowl in 3 =pace, analogy, one can put marbles in the bowl
and they will map a p=th to the bottom. but the shape of the bowl . determines how f=st they move, and in which
direction, . the shape of the bowl is the language= there is a shape for vision as well. = it exists without input, certain
paths are more probable etc.
3. I will contact Yang
On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 10:41 PM, Noam Chomsky «= href="mailto
target="_blanle=wrote:
Valeria's not here right now,=so will have to check with her about late September. Really
intrigui=g possibilities, and a delightful offer.
On Yang, I read his work quite differ=ntly. He does make use of word frequencies and
probability distribut=ons, but as far as I am aware in pretty straightforward and innocuous ways. =AO And he's quite
sophisticated about these matters. Smart and int=resting guy. You might want to contact him directly.
I don't recall his using Zipf=E2 s "laws," but it wouldn't matter much. =AO Mandelbrot showed
back in the '50s that they were a statistical artifact, near meaningless. =AO I was, incidentally, surprised to see how he
dealt with this result in =is autobiography. I think he called it his "Keplerian moment=" or something like that.
Noam
From: jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.c=m]
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2015 12:10 PM
To: Noam Chomsky
Subject: Re: Re:
I think you might try to plan on late september, , ta=ing my apt and spending a few days with
valeria in the city, A= it is the openiing of the UN general assembly , as well as the Clinton global initiative New york is
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rife with people with a= least influence, if not new ideas. . I, we. can organize man= fun interactions. my house
becomes a respite for the select f=w, to take off their ties , and talk openly. You would be welcome to join as many
create or participate as you prefer. =AO yangs work deals with language as signals . his relia=ce on Zipf like
distributions is a good example of naive probablities. .=C2 empirically zipf appears. but cannot be derived from any of
his or anyones elses to date. so somewhat misleading to suggest the&=uot; probililty of word , x appearing, " it is the
=istake of frequency vs probablity, and careless common usage.=u>
•
M, Noam Chomsky «= href="mailto
Sounds like a most interesting person= And someone it would be very interesting to talk
to. I presum= he spends time in NY. Hope we can work it out.
Would be interested in learning more =bout your critique of the use of probability in
language work, mostly by computational cognitive scientists, as far as I know. I =80 ye written critiques of it too, but on
different grounds: failure to =ccount for what they are trying to show, or even to understand the issue.=C2 There are, I
think, some notable exceptions, like the recent work of Charles Yang, one of Bob Berwick's student=.
From: jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.c=m]
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2015 8:22 AM
To: Noam Chomsky
Subject: Re:
He is the head of the human rights court in strasbou=g. / former prime minister of
norway... He=would be happy to have a dinner with us. . subj. =C2 drones. solitary confinement, death penalty (
europe does not have one , so if killing terrorist= is to be under an act of war, argument , then they, as enemies ,hav=
war rights. ). tribalism, mafia, syria, ukraine, saudi, egypt. =AO libya, . We have a great friendship. - I give him his
financial ABC's class. he gives me my pragmatic =olitics lessons. fyi great similarity now as the old political=guard
seem toreflect the patterns of the old long term=C2 investors, ( skills of . planning. executing . =AO etc ) now
confronted by media . and pressured to make quick decisions. ie behaving =AO like inexperienced short term traders.
fyi I h=ve read a great number of language papers. many if not most, m=suse the concept of probability . making
naive, erroneous uses of th= word , hence forming nonsensical conclusions. ( like the silly , life on =ther planets "
calculation". probability needs repetition =nd symmetry, historical events do not have either ! )<=p>
On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 1:08 AM, Noam Chomsky <
<mailto
»= wrote:
Glad it worked. Hope that the s=eech was of some interest.
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From: Jeffrey E. [mailto:jeevacation@gmail.c=m]
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 6:38 PM
To: Noam Chomsky
Subject:
you would have been proud my friend the sec ge= of the council of europe
thjorborn jagland had to give as spe=ch on terrorism to the security counsel. Last night I presented your arguments, re
hypocrisy, he was shocked but loved i=.
please no=e
The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be
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The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client
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Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
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please no=e
The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client
privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to jeevacation@gmail.com <mailtcyjeevacation@gmail.com> , and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to jeevacation@gmail.com <mailto:jeevacation@gmail.com> , and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please no=e
The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
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communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
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communication in error, please notify us immediately by
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destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
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please =ote
The information contained in this communication is confiden=ial, may be attorney-client privileged, may constitute
inside informati=n, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. It is the propert= of JEE Unauthorized use,
disclosure or copying of this communica=ion or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If =ou have
received this communication in error, please notify us immediat=ly by return e-mail or by e-mail to
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| Filename | EFTA02495783.pdf |
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| Text Length | 14,185 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-12T18:25:37.126723 |