Remarks on Optimality Theory and Language Change

Optimality Theoretic Account of Acquisition of Consonant Clusters of English Syllables by Persian EFL Learners*

This study accounts for the acquisition of the consonant clusters of English syllable structures both in onset and coda positions by Persian EFL learners. Persian syllable structure is "CV(CC)", composed of one consonant at the initial position and two optional consonants at the final position; whereas English syllable structure is "(CCC)V(CCCC)". Therefore, Persian EFL learners need to resolve...

Optimality and Functionality: Some Critical Remarks on Ot Syntax

This paper presents a critique of optimality-theoretic syntax. First, it questions the frequently encountered claim that an OT approach to a particular problem is ‘restrictive’, in the sense that it limits the class of possible languages. Such claims, it will be argued, are in principle difficult if not impossible to substantiate. Since constraints are, by hypothesis, universal, there will almo...

Optimality Of Monetary And Fiscal Policies In Iran: An Application Of The Stochastic Optimal Control Theory

Isogeometric Topology Optimization by Using Optimality Criteria and Implicit Function

A new method for structural topology optimization is introduced which employs the Isogeometric Analysis (IA) method. In this approach, an implicit function is constructed over the whole domain by Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) basis functions which are also used for creating the geometry and the surface of solution of the elasticity problem. Inspiration of the level set method zero level...

Language acquisition and language change in bidirectional Optimality Theory

Many theories of language assume that the change of a language over time and the acquisition of a language by an individual are interrelated. In this paper we compare and try to relate Mattausch’s (2004) diachronic bidirectional Optimality Theory (bi-OT) account of the development of pronominal binding in English to Hendriks and Spenader’s (2004; 2005/6) synchronic bi-OT account of English-spea...