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Mathematical Structure of Syntactic Merge

arXiv 2305.18278 ↗First posted 29 May 2023cs.CL math.QA math.RAcited by 17

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Abstract (arXiv)

The syntactic Merge operation of the Minimalist Program in linguistics can be described mathematically in terms of Hopf algebras, with a formalism similar to the one arising in the physics of renormalization. This mathematical formulation of Merge has good descriptive power, as phenomena empirically observed in linguistics can be justified from simple mathematical arguments. It also provides a possible mathematical model for externalization and for the role of syntactic parameters.

Key facts. Cited by 17 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Builds on 5 of its 57 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 29 May 2023.

Builds on

5 of 57 references.

References · 5

  1. 2019Topological Analysis of Syntactic Structurescited by 9
  2. 2016Semantic Spacescited by 2
  3. 2016Syntactic Structures and Code Parameterscited by 2
  4. 2018Heat Kernel analysis of Syntactic Structurescited by 2
  5. 2021Syntactic structures and the general Markov modelscited by 1

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Citing papers per year: 2023: 3; 2024: 3; 2025: 7; 2026: 4.

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  1. 2023Large Language Modelscited by 780
  2. 2025How Linguistics Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Language Modelscited by 51
  3. 2023Syntax-semantics interface: an algebraic modelcited by 6
  4. 2024A Comparative Investigation of Compositional Syntax and Semantics in DALL-E 2cited by 2
  5. 2023Old and New Minimalism: a Hopf algebra comparisoncited by 1
  6. 2024What is a word?cited by 0
  7. 2024On the Compatibility of Generative AI and Generative Linguisticscited by 0
  8. 2025A Diagrammatic Calculus for a Functional Model of Natural Language Semanticscited by 0
  9. 2025Encoding syntactic objects and Merge operations in function spacescited by 0
  10. 2025Language models as tools for investigating the distinction between possible and impossible natural languagescited by 0
  11. 2025Large language models have learned to use languagecited by 0
  12. 2025Large language models are not about natural languagecited by 0
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  3. 2026Across the Levels of Analysis: Explaining Predictive Processing in Humans Requires More Than Machine-Estimated Probabilitiescited by 0
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  5. 2026Not-So-Strange Love: Language Models and Generative Linguistic Theories are More Compatible than They Appearcited by 0