Thoughts
Introduction The advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) has fundamentally altered our understanding of the relationship between natural language and computation. As established in "Syntax, Semantics, and Computation: LLMs and Their Computational Boundaries," these models occupy a unique position in the landscape of computational systems—neither fully Turing-complete
Thoughts
Introduction Our previous discussions on syntax, semantics, and segfaults have traversed the spectrum from cross-disciplinary analysis to formal mathematical treatments to practical implementations. In "Syntax, Semantics, and Segfaults: A Cross-Disciplinary Analysis," we explored how structured rules of language (syntax) and their interpretation (semantics) govern both human communication and
Thoughts
Introduction In our previous analyses, "Syntax, Semantics, and Segfaults: A Cross-Disciplinary Analysis" and "Syntax, Semantics, and Segfaults: A Formal Perspective," we explored the theoretical foundations that govern programming languages, from the philosophical underpinnings of meaning to the rigorous mathematical frameworks that ensure program correctness. We examined
Thoughts
Introduction In programming language theory, syntax and semantics form the twin pillars that define a language's structure and meaning. A program must be syntactically well-formed (obeying the grammar rules of the language) and semantically well-defined (having a clear meaning or behavior for each construct). When either pillar is
Thoughts
Introduction Modern thought in linguistics, philosophy, and computer science converges on a fundamental duality: syntax and semantics. Syntax refers to the formal structure or grammar of a language, while semantics concerns the meaning conveyed by that structure. In natural language, thinkers from Gottlob Frege to Ludwig Wittgenstein have grappled with