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".

Transitions

Thanksgiving is this week, now through Christmas is the most heavily traveled period of the year. It brings to mind how mobile the US population is. Not just for holiday travel, but even for places to call  home. Americans are restless and we move.

Here is a clever interactive graphic illustrating this from data journalist Chris Walker and his site Vizynary (also posted by Wired.) The flows of migration from one US state to another are shown as arcs drawn between two states if at least 10,000 people moved between them in 2012. The width of the arcs indicate the frequency of migration along that path. The data came from the U.S Census American Community Survey. Interactively you can select a state and see the arcs of migration flow to other states. It reminds me of blasts of fireworks. Very well done.