Computer Simulation of Language Evolution

All throughout human history, the question about the origin and evolution of (human) language has exerted afascinating appeal to both scholars and laymen. Thanks to the progress in computational methods, it hasbeen possible in recent yearsto attain new insights into this subject matter and to conduct simulations with the pretence of verifying orfalsifying some of the assertions proclaimed by an earlier linguistic and philosophic tradition.By means of a simulation model made up of populations of artificial speakers, this work sets outto address the problem of languagechange and its variation over time. Under what conditions can -- and do -- languages change? More fundamentally,it is asked under which circumstances languages are learnable, and whether the assumption of a particular humanqualification for language ability is really necessary.

Autorentext
Eger, Steffen Geboren 20.3.1981. 2000 Abitur am Eduard-Spranger-Gymnasium Freudenstadt. 2001 Beginn des Studiums der Computerlinguistik, Anglistik und Volkswirtschaftslehre in Heidelberg. 2003 und 2004 Studienaufenthalt in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 2005 Aufnahme des Zweitstudiums Mathematik und Philosophie in Heidelberg. 2007 Abschluss des Erststudiums, M.A.