Swap distance minimization beyond entropy minimization in word order variation

arXiv:2404.14192v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Here we consider the problem of all the possible orders of a linguistic structure formed by $n$ elements, for instance, subject, direct object and verb ($n=3$) or subject, direct object, indirect object and verb ($n=4$). We investigate if the frequency of the $n!$ possible orders is constrained by two principles. First, entropy minimization, a principle that has been suggested to shape natural communication systems at distinct levels of organization. Second, swap distance minimization, namely a …

abstract arxiv beyond cs.cl entropy instance object orders physics.soc-ph type variation word