The research objective of this award is to explore the hypothesis that mechanical symmetry governs the evolution, production, and comprehension of all natural and constructed language. Initial work will focus on an analysis of mechanical symmetry in written Arabic numerals. A preliminary study has already shown that these numerals constitute nine of twenty characters that are unique up to affine transformation when represented in the canonical seven-segment projective space used by a digital clock. This study will be extended to consider symmetry in the generation as well as perception of numerals using a model of handwriting production derived from the fields of robotics and motor neuroscience.
If successful, the results of this research may ultimately transform the way scientists and engineers think about language by establishing a common set of mechanical properties that all spoken, written, or signed alphabets must share in order to be easily produced and comprehended. This set of properties may allow the systematic construction of new languages that are not spoken, written, or signed, for example to enable communication through neural sensors in a brain- machine interface. It may also have application to speech therapy, to natural language processing, and to diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities like dyslexia. These research goals are aligned with a broader K-to-PhD education and outreach plan that will integrate systems engineering and neuroscience and will target underrepresented students for involvement in multi-disciplinary education and research.
