<OT> New Posting: ROA-898

[Rutgers Optimality Archive]

ROA 898-0107

When the Hothead Speaks: Simulated Annealing Optimality Theory for
Dutch Fast Speech

Tamás Bíró <birot at nytud.hu>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=898


Abstract:
Simulated Annealing, a widespread technique for combinatorial
optimisation, is employed to find the optimal candidate
in a candidate set, as defined in Optimality Theory (OT).
Being a heuristic technique, simulated annealing does not
guarantee to return the correct solution, and yet, some
result is always returned within a constant time. Similarly
to language production, this time framework can be diminished
with the cost of diminishing correctness. We demonstrate
how simulated annealing can model linguistic performance,
built upon a competence theory, namely, OT. After having
applied simulated annealing to OT, we attempt to reproduce
empirical observations on metrical stress in Dutch fast
speech. Simulated annealing necessitates defining a topology
on the candidate set, as well as an exact formulation of
the constraint Output-Output Correspondence.

Comments: In T. van der Wouden, M. Poss, H. Reckman, C. Cremers
(eds.): Computational Linguistics in the Netherlands 2004, Selected
papers from the 15th CLIN meeting, LOT, Utrecht, 2005, pp. 13-28.
First file: as appeared, incl. page nrs; 2nd file: w/o minor typos
Keywords: simulated annealing; SA-OT; topology; performance; fast
speech; Dutch metrical stress; Output-Output Correspondence /
Output-Output Faithfulness
Areas: Computation,Phonology
Type: Conference Proceedings Chapter

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=898