Department of Linguistics

Abstract: This talk explores computational approaches within the context of three factors in language design: core syntactic operations (linguistic principles), the role of linguistic input (in parameter acquisition), and a third factor regarding computational constraints on the mind (Chomsky, 2005). The first part of the talk integrates a third factor search algorithm, Minimal Search, with two core syntactic operations—Agree and Labeling—and shows empirical and theoretical implications of Minimal Search-based Agree and Labeling, which are considered universal principles of language. The…