Mathematical Modeling of Language
Date and Time
Thursday, May 2, 2013
This event occurred in the past
- Thursday, May 2, 2013 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location
Serra Hall 204
5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110Cost
Free
Details
Title: Mathematical Modeling of Language
Speaker: Jacquelyn Rische, University of California, Irvine
Audience: Students and Faculty
When: May 2, 2013
Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Where: Serra Hall 204
Lunch will be provided.
Abstract: In this talk, we will look at mathematical modeling of language using computer simulations. Using these models, we study how individuals with language spread through a population of individuals without language. We consider a population without language on one- and two-dimensional grids. Language will appear in the population through a genetic mutation. To study how the language group will grow, we focus on the effects of talking and movement. If two individuals with language are next to each other on the grid, they can communicate. We consider their ability to talk to be advantageous, giving them a higher reproduction rate. Individuals are also able to move around on the grid and
reproduce within a certain radius, called the jump radius. We are looking at how these affect the time it takes for the individuals with language to invade the population. We find that, for a two-dimensional grid, a jump radius that is too small or too large will increase the time it takes to invade. For a one-dimensional grid, we do not see the same effect. The time to invasion decreases as the jump radius increases.