?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Linguistic+Optimization&rft.creator=Pater%2C+Joe&rft.creator=Bhatt%2C+Rajesh&rft.creator=Potts%2C+Christopher&rft.subject=Phonology&rft.description=Optimality+Theory+(OT)+is+a+model+of+language+that+combines+aspects+of+generative+and+connectionist+linguistics.+It+is+unique+in+the+field+in+its+use+of+a+rank+ordering+on+constraints%2C+which+is+used+to+formalize+optimization%2C+the+choice+of+the+best+of+a+set+of+potential+linguistic+forms.+We+show+that+phenomena+argued+to+require+ranking+fall+out+equally+from+the+form+of+optimization+in+OT's+predecessor+Harmonic+Grammar+(HG)%2C+which+uses+numerical+weights+to+encode+the+relative+strength+of+constraints.+We+further+argue+that+the+known+problems+for+HG+can+be+resolved+by+adopting+assumptions+about+the+nature+of+constraints+that+have+precedents+both+in+OT+and+elsewhere+in+computational+and+generative+linguistics.+This+leads+to+a+formal+proof+that+if+the+range+of+each+constraint+is+a+bounded+number+of+violations%2C+HG+generates+a+finite+number+of+languages.+This+is+nontrivial%2C+since+the+set+of+possible+weights+for+each+constraint+is+nondenumerably+infinite.+We+also+briefly+review+some+advantages+of+HG.&rft.date=2007&rft.type=Preprint&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F5691%2F1%2Fpater-bhatt-potts-hg07.pdf&rft.identifier=++Pater%2C+Joe+and+Bhatt%2C+Rajesh+and+Potts%2C+Christopher++(2007)+Linguistic+Optimization.++%5BPreprint%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F5691%2F