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Main Authors: Marcolli, Matilde, Berwick, Robert C.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13501
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author Marcolli, Matilde
Berwick, Robert C.
author_facet Marcolli, Matilde
Berwick, Robert C.
contents We provide a mathematical argument showing that, given a representation of lexical items as functions (wavelets, for instance) in some function space, it is possible to construct a faithful representation of arbitrary syntactic objects in the same function space. This space can be endowed with a commutative non-associative semiring structure built using the second Renyi entropy. The resulting representation of syntactic objects is compatible with the magma structure. The resulting set of functions is an algebra over an operad, where the operations in the operad model circuits that transform the input wave forms into a combined output that encodes the syntactic structure. The action of Merge on workspaces is faithfully implemented as action on these circuits, through a coproduct and a Hopf algebra Markov chain. The results obtained here provide a constructive argument showing the theoretical possibility of a neurocomputational realization of the core computational structure of syntax. We also present a particular case of this general construction where this type of realization of Merge is implemented as a cross frequency phase synchronization on sinusoidal waves. This also shows that Merge can be expressed in terms of the successor function of a semiring, thus clarifying the well known observation of its similarities with the successor function of arithmetic.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_13501
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Encoding syntactic objects and Merge operations in function spaces
Marcolli, Matilde
Berwick, Robert C.
Computation and Language
Rings and Algebras
Neurons and Cognition
91F20, 16Y60, 16T05, 92C20
We provide a mathematical argument showing that, given a representation of lexical items as functions (wavelets, for instance) in some function space, it is possible to construct a faithful representation of arbitrary syntactic objects in the same function space. This space can be endowed with a commutative non-associative semiring structure built using the second Renyi entropy. The resulting representation of syntactic objects is compatible with the magma structure. The resulting set of functions is an algebra over an operad, where the operations in the operad model circuits that transform the input wave forms into a combined output that encodes the syntactic structure. The action of Merge on workspaces is faithfully implemented as action on these circuits, through a coproduct and a Hopf algebra Markov chain. The results obtained here provide a constructive argument showing the theoretical possibility of a neurocomputational realization of the core computational structure of syntax. We also present a particular case of this general construction where this type of realization of Merge is implemented as a cross frequency phase synchronization on sinusoidal waves. This also shows that Merge can be expressed in terms of the successor function of a semiring, thus clarifying the well known observation of its similarities with the successor function of arithmetic.
title Encoding syntactic objects and Merge operations in function spaces
topic Computation and Language
Rings and Algebras
Neurons and Cognition
91F20, 16Y60, 16T05, 92C20
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13501