A letter from Zellig Harris to André Lentin
Explanatory notes
Toward the end of his life, Zellig Harris (1909–1992) wrote a brief account of the origins and development of his work to establish the foundations of a science of language on mathematical principles. A French translation was published in 1990, and in the same publication appeared a parallel appraisal from a mathematical point of view by André Lentin (1913–2015). Early the following year, having reread Lentin’s essay several times, Harris wrote him the letter which is presented here. More than a gesture of thanks and appreciation, this letter further illuminates the comprehensive overview afforded by the two essays, both of which appeared in English in 2002.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Foundations of mathematics and of empirical science
- 2.1Background
- 2.2Constructivism, intuitionism, and tertium non datur
- 2.3Finitism and recursive mathematics
- 2.4On the homology with empirical science
- 3.Grammar and its formalizations: Realism vs description
- 3.1Properties of language, analytical methods, and formal descriptions
- 3.2From abstract algebraic system to applicative calculus
- 3.3Typed lambda calculus
- 3.4Inconsistency as a challenge to finitism
- 4.Formalization and finding further regularities in the data
- 4.1Testing an axiomatization of grammar
- 4.2Resolution of exception cases
- 4.3Cryptomorphisms subject to “pertinence and linguistic transparency”
- 5.Beyond operator grammar
- 6.Conclusion
- Notes
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References