Mathematics from Language

Target Audience

• Undergraduates with a one-semester course in finite mathematics or equivalent experience in discrete mathematics
• Students majoring in linguistics, cognitive science, English and foreign languages

Course Description

• Syntax: how words combine to make sentences

  • Categorical grammar: an approach to grammar that is also mathematically precise
  • Formal language theory: the mathematics of symbol combinations, as studied in computer science

  The syntax part of the course also uses a computer program to help work with and understand categorical grammar.

• Semantics: the study of meaning

  • Based on categorical grammar
  • Uses basic theory of functions and logic

In addition, students work on an individual project which is either based on material from class, or which involves learning about some of the other interactions of mathematics and linguistics.

Example Topic

• Categorical Grammar

Mathematics from Language web page