Monday, September 29, 2014

Markov Language

From prooffreader.com  is an interactive color-coded matrix of transition probabilities from any given letter on a row to its following letter in a column. For example, along the row beginning with the letter "h", the darkest hue, represents the highest probability (47.42%), is for the letter that most likely follows, which is "e".
The most likely letter to follow "d" is "-", indicating that the most likely choice is no single letter, but instead "nothing". So that "d" most likely is at the end of a word.

There is a similar graphic of reverse transition probabilities, showing letters that most likely precede a given row choice.
It would be fun to simulate how words would behave when primed with this limited behavior of English. We could use our last post and these graphics of letter transition probabilities to simulate a "Markov language".

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