Probabilistic Phonology of Rhythm

October 31 - November 1, 2, 2003
Hotel Aldeia do Sahi,
Barra do Sahi - SP

This is an interdisciplinary workshop whose goal is to discuss how Probability Theory can be used to rigorously address the following central problems in Linguistics:

1. the question of the existence of rhythmic patterns in natural languages;

2. the existence of a discrete typology characterized by well defined critical points, as opposed to to a rhythmic continuum;

3. the existence of rhythmic features in the acoustic signal and in written texts.

This workshop is an activity of the Millenium Institute for the Global and Integrated Advancement of Mathematics in Brazil (IM-AGIMB) and of the Center for Stochastic Modelling and Complexity of the University of São Paulo (NUMEC) and is part of the project Stochastic behavior, critical phenomena and rhythmic pattern identification in natural languages. Additional support provided by PRONEX grant 66.2177/1996-6 (Núcleo de Excelência Critical phenomena in probability and stochastic processes) and UNICAMP/FAEP projects Modelagem estocastica da fala and Fonologia prosodica do Portugues