Automatic Labeling of Software Components and their Evolution using Log-Likelihood Ratio of Word Frequencies in Source Code

As more and more open-source software components become available on the internet we need automatic ways to label and compare them. For example, a developer who searches for reusable software must be able to quickly gain an understanding of retrieved components. This understanding cannot be gained at the level of source code due to the semantic gap between source code and the domain model. In this paper we present a lexical approach that uses the log-likelihood ratios of word frequencies to automatically provide labels for software components. We present a prototype implementation of our labeling/comparison algorithm and provide examples of its application. In particular, we apply the approach to detect trends in the evolution of a software system.

A synchronic lexical study of the Ede language continuum of West Africa: The effects of different similarity judgment criteria

In the context of a synchronic lexical study of the Ede varieties of West Africa, this paper investigates whether the use of different criteria sets to judge the similarity of lexical features in different language varieties yields matching conclusions regarding the relative relationships and clustering of the investigated varieties and thus leads to similar recommendations for further sociolinguistic research. Word lists elicited in 28 Ede varieties were analyzed with the inspection method. To explore the effects of different similarity judgment criteria, two different similarity judgment criteria sets were applied to the elicited data to identify similar lexical items. The quantification of these similarity decisions led to the computation of two similarity matrices which were subsequently analyzed by means of correlation analysis and multidimensional scaling. The findings of this analysis suggest compatible conclusions regarding the relative relationships and clustering of the investigated Ede varieties. However, the matching clustering results do not necessarily lead to the same recommendations for more in-depth sociolinguistic research, when interpreted in terms of an absolute lexical similarity threshold. The indicated ambiguities suggest the usefulness of focusing on the relative, rather than absolute in establishing recommendations for further sociolinguistic research.

PolySynthesis 6.0 -- bicentennial edition

Even 197 years after its introduction, the notion of polysynthesis remains one of the most intriguing and controversial tools in the (morphological) typologist's toolbox. Several --occasionally contradictory--definitions have been proposed, employed for various purposes, and debated to this very day, but neither practitioners nor theoreticians have reached a comfortable level of consensus regarding its most effective and efficient form yet. The present talk maps the evolution of the notion, discusses its usefulness, and contends that the tool can be made better by updating it minimally with respect to its form and substantially with respect to its conceptual foundations. The former aspect of the update consists of making the notion more precise via explicit qualification; the latter bears relation to our arguably problematic understanding of the pairs lexical vs. grammatical and word vs. clause.

Grapheme-color synaesthesia is associated with a distinct cognitive style

In this study we investigated whether synaesthesia is associated with a particular cognitive style. Cognitive style refers to preferred modes of information processing, such as a verbal style or a visual style. We reasoned that related to the enriched world of experiences created by synaesthesia, its association with enhanced verbal and visual memory, higher imagery and creativity, synaesthetes might show enhanced preference for a verbal as well as for a visual cognitive style compared to non-synaesthetes. In Study 1 we tested a large convenience sample of 1046 participants, who classified themselves as grapheme-color, sound-color, lexical-gustatory, sequence-space, or as non-synaesthetes. To assess cognitive style, we used the revised verbalizer-visualizer questionnaire (VVQ), which involves three independent cognitive style dimensions (verbal style, visual-spatial style, and vivid imagery style). The most important result was that those who reported grapheme-color synaesthesia showed higher ratings on the verbal and vivid imagery style dimensions, but not on the visual-spatial style dimension. In Study 2 we replicated this finding in a laboratory study involving 24 grapheme-color synaesthetes with objectively confirmed synaesthesia and a closely matched control group. Our results indicate that grapheme-color synaesthetes prefer both a verbal and a specific visual cognitive style. We suggest that this enhanced preference, probably together with the greater ease to switch between a verbal and a vivid visual imagery style, may be related to cognitive advantages associated with grapheme color synaesthesia such as enhanced memory performance and creativity.

A Concept of Semantics Extraction from Web Data by Induction of Fuzzy Ontologies

Traditionally, ontologies describe knowledge representation in a denotational, formalized, and deductive way. In addition, in this paper, we propose a semiotic, inductive, and approximate approach to ontology creation. We define a conceptual framework, a semantics extraction algorithm, and a first proof of concept applying the algorithm to a small set of Wikipedia documents. Intended as an extension to the prevailing top-down ontologies, we introduce an inductive fuzzy grassroots ontology, which organizes itself organically from existing natural language Web content. Using inductive and approximate reasoning to reflect the natural way in which knowledge is processed, the ontology’s bottom-up build process creates emergent semantics learned from the Web. By this means, the ontology acts as a hub for computing with words described in natural language. For Web users, the structural semantics are visualized as inductive fuzzy cognitive maps, allowing an initial form of intelligence amplification. Eventually, we present an implementation of our inductive fuzzy grassroots ontology Thus,this paper contributes an algorithm for the extraction of fuzzy grassroots ontologies from Web data by inductive fuzzy classification.

Towards an Emergent Semantic Web

In his in uential article about the evolution of the Web, Berners-Lee [1] envisions a Semantic Web in which humans and computers alike are capable of understanding and processing information. This vision is yet to materialize. The main obstacle for the Semantic Web vision is that in today's Web meaning is rooted most often not in formal semantics, but in natural language and, in the sense of semiology, emerges not before interpretation and processing. Yet, an automated form of interpretation and processing can be tackled by precisiating raw natural language. To do that, Web agents extract fuzzy grassroots ontologies through induction from existing Web content. Inductive fuzzy grassroots ontologies thus constitute organically evolved knowledge bases that resemble automated gradual thesauri, which allow precisiating natural language [2]. The Web agents' underlying dynamic, self-organizing, and best-effort induction, enable a sub-syntactical bottom up learning of semiotic associations. Thus, knowledge is induced from the users' natural use of language in mutual Web interactions, and stored in a gradual, thesauri-like lexical-world knowledge database as a top-level ontology, eventually allowing a form of computing with words [3]. Since when computing with words the objects of computation are words, phrases and propositions drawn from natural languages, it proves to be a practical notion to yield emergent semantics for the Semantic Web. In the end, an improved understanding by computers on the one hand should upgrade human- computer interaction on the Web, and, on the other hand allow an initial version of human- intelligence amplification through the Web.

Managing Things and Services with Semantics: A Survey

This paper presents a survey on the usage, opportunities and pitfalls of semantic technologies in the Internet of Things. The survey was conducted in the context of a semantic enterprise integration platform. In total we surveyed sixty-one individuals from industry and academia on their views and current usage of IoT technologies in general, and semantic technologies in particular. Our semantic enterprise integration platform aims for interoperability at a service level, as well as at a protocol level. Therefore, also questions regarding the use of application layer protocols, network layer protocols and management protocols were integrated into the survey. The survey suggests that there is still a lot of heterogeneity in IoT technologies, but first indications of the use of standardized protocols exist. Semantic technologies are being recognized as of potential use, mainly in the management of things and services. Nonetheless, the participants still see many obstacles which hinder the widespread use of semantic technologies: Firstly, a lack of training as traditional embedded programmers are not well aware of semantic technologies. Secondly, a lack of standardization in ontologies, which would enable interoperability and thirdly, a lack of good tooling support.

Reduplication in Mapuzungun: form and function

Mapuzungun has reduplicative structures based on elements other than verb stems that are of very limited productivity. With verb stems, however, several formal patterns can be distinguished, which consist of the repetition of the lexical verb stem plus the addition of an apparently grammaticalized version of one of three verb roots or a zero morpheme. The previous literature has attempted to identify form/function correlations for these more or less productive verbal reduplicative patterns, and the present paper contributes to the discussion by surveying older studies and exploring several cases that suggest that such form/function correspondences are substantially less straightforward than a casual observer might think.