<table><tr><th>From:</th><th>jeffrey E. &lt;jeevacation@gmail.com&gt;</th></tr><tr><td>Sent:</td><td>Monday, June 22, 2015 12:21 PM</td></tr><tr><td>To:</td><td>Noam Chomsky</td></tr><tr><td>Subject:</td><td>Re: Re:</td></tr></table>

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 .

yang is flexiblein 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=1infinity 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

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="_blank">:  >=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

## 3. I will contact Yang (cont.)

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>

On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 11:44 AM, ████████████████████ 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.

4

## 3. I will contact Yang (cont.)

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

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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 <mailtoleevacation@gmail.com> , and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved

## 3. I will contact Yang (cont.)

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 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 <mailto:jeevacation@gmail.com> , and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved

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## 3. I will contact Yang (cont.)

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 <mailtoleevacation@gmail.com> , and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved

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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 jeevacation@gmail.com <mailto:jeevacation@gmail=com> , and destroy this comm=nication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. copyright -=11 rights reserved