LEADER 04721nam 22007095 450 001 9910736012803321 005 20240206170001.0 010 $a9783031268090 010 $a3-031-26809-1 024 7 $a10.1007/978-3-031-26809-0 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC30670563 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL30670563 035 $a(DE-He213)978-3-031-26809-0 035 $a(PPN)272255521 035 $a(CKB)27899964000041 035 $a(EXLCZ)9927899964000041 100 $a20230731d2023 u| 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurcnu|||||||| 181 $ctxt$2rdacontent 182 $cc$2rdamedia 183 $acr$2rdacarrier 200 10$aSymbols $eAn Evolutionary History from the Stone Age to the Future /$fby Richard Sproat 205 $a1st ed. 2023. 210 1$aCham :$cSpringer Nature Switzerland :$cImprint: Springer,$d2023. 215 $a1 online resource (240 pages) 311 08$aPrint version: Sproat, Richard Symbols Cham : Springer,c2023 9783031268083 327 $a1. Introduction -- 2. Semiotics -- 3. Taxonomy -- 4. Writing Systems -- 5. Symbols in the Brain -- 6. The Evolution of Writing -- 7. Simulations -- 8. Misrepresentations -- 9. The Future. 330 $aFor millennia humans have used visible marks to communicate information. Modern examples of conventional graphical symbols include written language, and non-linguistic symbol systems such as mathematical symbology or traffic signs. The latter kinds of symbols convey information without reference to language. This book presents the first systematic study of graphical symbol systems, including a history of graphical symbols from the Paleolithic onwards, a taxonomy of non-linguistic systems ? systems that are not tied to spoken language ? and a survey of more than 25 such systems. One important feature of many non-linguistic systems is that, as in written language, symbols may be combined into complex ?messages? if the information the system represents is itself complex. To illustrate, the author presents an in-depth comparison of two systems that had very similar functions, but very different structure: European heraldry and Japanese kamon. Writing first appeared in Mesopotamia about 5,000 years ago and is believed to have evolved from a previous non-linguistic accounting system. The exact mechanism is unknown, but crucial was the discovery that symbols can represent the sounds of words, not just the meanings. The book presents a novel neurologically-inspired hypothesis that writing evolved in an institutional context in which symbols were ?dictated?, thus driving an association between symbol and sound, and provides a computational simulation to support this hypothesis. The author further discusses some common fallacies about writing and non-linguistic systems, and how these relate to widely cited claims about statistical ?evidence? for one or another system being writing. The book ends with some thoughts about the future of graphical symbol systems. The intended audience includes students, researchers, lecturers, professionals and scientists from fields like Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Archaeology and Semiotics, as well as general readers interested in language and/or writing systems and symbol systems. Richard Sproat is a Research Scientist at Google working on Deep Learning. He has a long-standing interest in writing systems and other graphical symbol systems. 606 $aNatural language processing (Computer science) 606 $aMachine learning 606 $aDigital humanities 606 $aSocial sciences$xData processing 606 $aComputational linguistics 606 $aComputer simulation 606 $aNatural Language Processing (NLP) 606 $aMachine Learning 606 $aDigital Humanities 606 $aComputer Application in Social and Behavioral Sciences 606 $aComputational Linguistics 606 $aComputer Modelling 615 0$aNatural language processing (Computer science). 615 0$aMachine learning. 615 0$aDigital humanities. 615 0$aSocial sciences$xData processing. 615 0$aComputational linguistics. 615 0$aComputer simulation. 615 14$aNatural Language Processing (NLP). 615 24$aMachine Learning. 615 24$aDigital Humanities. 615 24$aComputer Application in Social and Behavioral Sciences. 615 24$aComputational Linguistics. 615 24$aComputer Modelling. 676 $a302.2223 700 $aSproat$b Richard William$01556418 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910736012803321 996 $aSymbols$93883161 997 $aUNINA