This page includes a list of works that I have done or collaborated on. You can download the documents to read them in full. Feel free to email me if a link breaks or if you want a copy of any materials.
Peer-reviewed articles and proceedings
to appear
Learning phonological underlying representations: the role of abstractness
We explore a novel approach to learning underlying representations (URs) which incorporates a number of current proposals in phonological theory and computational modeling. We seek to bring our results to bear on the long-standing issue of abstractness in phonology. Our strategy is to run the same learning model on a variety of languages while systematically varying the degree of abstractness permitted, following the abstractness hierarchy set forth by Kenstowicz and Kisseberth (1977). We find that when the criterion of abstractness is permissive, the resulting large set of candidate URs can lead the learning system to fail by getting stuck in a local maximum. We invoke research suggesting that abstract systems are often mislearned by children, and identify a level of Kenstowicz and Kisseberth’s abstractness hierarchy that best predicts such restructurings.
Wang, Yang, and Bruce Hayes. (To appear). Learning underlying representations: the role of abstractness. Linguistic Inquiry.https://doi.org/10.1162/ling_a_00553.
@article{WangHayes_ToAppear,volume={},doi={https://doi.org/10.1162/ling_a_00553},number={},journal={Linguistic Inquiry},author={Wang, Yang and Hayes, Bruce},year={to appear},month={},pages={}}
This paper proposes a formal model of regular languages enriched with unbounded copying. We augment finite-state machinery with the ability to recognize copied strings by adding an unbounded memory buffer with a restricted form of first-in-first-out storage. The newly introduced computational device, finite-state buffered machines (FSBMs), characterizes the class of regular languages and languages derived from them through a primitive copying operation. We name this language class regular copying languages (RCLs). We prove a pumping lemma and examine the closure properties of this language class. As suggested by previous literature (Gazdar and Pullum 1985, p.278), regular copying languages should approach the correct characteriza-tion of natural language word sets.
Wang, Yang, and Tim Hunter. 2023. On Regular Copying Languages. Journal of Language Modelling 11 (1):1–66. https://doi.org/10.15398/jlm.v11i1.342.
@article{Wang_Hunter_2023,title={On regular copying languages},volume={11},doi={10.15398/jlm.v11i1.342},number={1},journal={Journal of Language Modelling},author={Wang, Yang and Hunter, Tim},year={2023},month=jul,pages={1–66}}
Total reduplication is common in natural language phonology and morphology. However, formally as copying on reduplicants of unbounded size, unrestricted total reduplication requires computational power beyond context-free, while other phonological and morphological patterns are regular, or even sub-regular. Thus, existing language classes characterizing reduplicated strings inevitably include typologically unattested context-free patterns, such as reversals. This paper extends regular languages to incorporate reduplication by introducing a new computational device: finite state buffered machine (FSBMs). We give its mathematical definitions and discuss some closure properties of the corresponding set of languages. As a result, the class of regular languages and languages derived from them through a copying mechanism is characterized. Suggested by previous literature, this class of languages should approach the characterization of natural language word sets.
Wang, Yang. 2021. Recognizing Reduplicated Forms: Finite-State Buffered Machines. In Proceedings of the 18th SIGMORPHON Workshop on Computational Research in Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology, pages 177–187, Online. Association for Computational Linguistics.
@inproceedings{wang-2021-recognizing,title={Recognizing Reduplicated Forms: {F}inite-State Buffered Machines},author={Wang, Yang},booktitle={Proceedings of the 18th SIGMORPHON Workshop on Computational Research in Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology},month=aug,year={2021},address={Online},publisher={Association for Computational Linguistics},doi={10.18653/v1/2021.sigmorphon-1.20},pages={177--187}}
Presentations
2024
The emergent typology of reduplication: Universals and variations in learning biases.
Yang Wang
Poster presented at the Annual Meeting on Phonology, Nov 2024
Wang, Yang. 2024. The emergent typology of reduplication: Universals and variations in learning biases. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting on Phonology. Rutgers Unievrsity, New Brunswick, NJ. November 2024.
2022
Learning underlying representations: Expectation-Maximization and the KK-Hierarchy.
Wang, Yang and Bruce Hayes. 2022. Learning underlying representations: Expectation-Maximization and the KK-Hierarchy. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting on Phonology. UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. October 2022.
Inductive bias in learning partial reduplication: Evidence from artificial grammar learning
Wilson, Colin and Yang Wang. 2022. Inductive bias in learning partial reduplication: Evidence from artificial grammar learning. Slides of a talk given at the Annual Meeting on Phonology. UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. October 2022.
2021
A formal model for recognizing reduplication
Yang Wang
Poster presented at the Annual Meeting on Phonology, Oct 2021
Wang, Yang. 2024. Studies in morphophonological copying: Analysis, experimentation and modeling. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles.
@phdthesis{Wang-2024-phd,author={Wang, Yang},school={University of California, Los Angeles},title={Studies in morphophonological copying: {A}nalysis, experimentation and modeling},year={2024}}
2021
Regular languages extended with reduplication: Formal models, proofs and illustrations
Yang Wang
Master's thesis, University of California, Los Angeles, Aug 2021
Wang, Yang. 2021. Regular Languages Extended with Reduplication: Formal Models, Proofs and Illustrations. Master’s thesis, University of California, Los Angeles.
@mastersthesis{Wang-2021-MA,author={Wang, Yang},school={University of California, Los Angeles},title={Regular languages extended with reduplication: {F}ormal models, proofs and illustrations},year={2021}}