LINGUIST List 6.412

Wed 22 Mar 1995

FYI: Optimality workshop, Mathematical modelling workshop

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1. Edith A Moravcsik, Optimality Workshop in Milwaukee
2. Don Ringe, workshop at U of PA

The workshop on OPTIMALITY THEORY, originally announced as tentative,
WILL be held on SATURDAY, APRIL 8, at the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee (Golda Meir Library Conference Center, Main Library Building
(2311 E. Hartford Avenue), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Campus).

This is a relatively introductory-level one-day course in Optimality
Theory geared mostly towards linguists but also accessible to psychologists,
philosophers, and computer scientists. The morning session (9-12)
will be devoted to phonology and the afternoon session (2-5) to syntax.
Our speakers for the two sessions are Heather Goad (McGill University)
and Peggy Speas (UMass), respectively.

Since we would like to facilitate discussion during the sessions,
attendance will be limited to 50 people. At this point, we still have room.
If you wish to register, send your check to Edith Moravcsik
 Department of Linguistics
 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413,
made out to UWM Linguistics Symposium.

Registration fees are as follows:
 - general: $30.00 for half a day - student: $25.00 for half a day
 $50.00 for the whole day $45.00 for the whole day

If you decide to register at some time closer to April 8, please check with
us first to make sure we have not reached capacity.

For overnight accomodation, call the Astor Hotel at (414) 271-4220 or
the Park East Hotel at (414) 276-8800. Both are within easy driving
distance to campus and also on a direct bus line. Van service may also
be available.

If you have any questions, please e-mail edithcsd.uwm.edu
or call Edith Moravcsik at (414) 229-6794 (office) or (414) 332-0141 (home).

***PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT--FURTHER INFORMATION WILL FOLLOW***

Tandy Warnow (Computer and Information Science, U of PA) and Don Ringe
 (Linguistics, U of PA) are organizing a

 WORKSHOP: MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF LINGUISTIC RELATIONSHIPS

 Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, U of PA
 April 17-18, 1995

Invited speakers will include:
 Sheila Embleton, York U. (Ontario)
 Anthony Kroch, U. of Pennsylvania
 Bill Labov, U. of Pennsylvania
 Johanna Nichols, U. of California at Berkeley
 Bill Poser, U. of Northern British Columbia
 Ann Taylor, U. of Pennsylvania

 There is currently a renaissance of mathematical and computational work
on long-standing problems in historical linguistics. This workshop will
explore some of the newest and most innovative approaches in the field. We
will present our own recent work in language taxonomy using a new computational
algorithm and improved procedures for phylogenetic tree construction. Our
guest speakers will discuss, among other things, a new approach to modelling
the relationships between dialects and closely related languages (a situation
in which phylogenetic trees are often inappropriate models); multivariate
analysis and other methods for modelling sociolinguistic variation within a
single speech community; modelling historical relationships between languages
which cannot be proved to be genetically related; and the constant rate
hypothesis in syntactic change. We expect that lively discussion will ensue,
since many of these avenues of research are still at an early stage of
development and a large number of relevant questions remain unanswered; we hope
that the workshop format will facilitate cross-fertilization of ideas which
will in turn lead to more rapid progress.

The public is invited to attend.

***PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT--FURTHER INFORMATION WILL FOLLOW***