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Grammar as Mathematics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

J. Lambek
J. Lambek*
Affiliation:
McGill University
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Abstract

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While there are a small number of reasonably deep theorems in mathematical linguistics, I wish to argue that grammar is mathematics at a very basic level, albeit "trivial" mathematics. Linguistic activities such as the production and recognition of sentences are quite analogous to the mathematical activities of proving theorems or making calculations, while learning a language involves something akin to the discovery or invention of postulates.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Mathematical Bulletin , Volume 32 , Issue 3 , 01 September 1989 , pp. 257 - 273
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Mathematical Society 1989

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