ERIC Number: ED620934
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 269
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-7806-0227-9
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Probabilistic Semantics for Vagueness
Lee, Steven Fong-yi
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
In this dissertation I argue that truth-conditional semantics for vague predicates, combined with a Bayesian account of statistical inference incorporating knowledge of truth-conditions of utterances, generates false predictions regarding negations and metalinguistic inference. I thus propose a fundamentally probabilistic semantics for vagueness on which the meaning of a vague predicate is a likelihood function on the states it encodes, with these likelihoods being generated via reinforcement learning in a signaling game. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Semantics, Bayesian Statistics, Metalinguistics, Language Usage, Form Classes (Languages), Statistical Inference, Reinforcement, Educational Games, Prediction, Morphemes, Computational Linguistics
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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