# Be Careful When Assuming the Obvious: Commentary on "The placement of the head that minimizes online memory: a complex systems approach"

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.4753 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1408.4753/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 20 Aug 2014.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Dependency distance minimization predicts compression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.08900/) (2021)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Ferrer-i-Cancho (2015) presents a mathematical model of both the synchronic and diachronic nature of word order based on the assumption that memory costs are a never decreasing function of distance and a few very general linguistic assumptions. However, even these minimal and seemingly obvious assumptions are not as safe as they appear in light of recent typological and psycholinguistic evidence. The interaction of word order and memory has further depths to be explored.