Zipf's law in natural languages, programming languages, and command languages: the Simon-Yule approach
- 1 November 1991
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Systems Science
- Vol. 22 (11) , 2299-2312
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00207729108910791
Abstract
Zipf's law and issues in natural languages, programming languages and command languages related to it, are reviewed. We point out the need for a unified theory to resolve the issues. Based on Herbert Simon's creative process for scientific discovery, we evaluate four leading theories of language generation. As a result, the Simon-Yule model of text generation is selected as a promising theory. The implications of the theory related to the issues in natural languages, programming languages and command languages are discussed.Keywords
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